Fear in a Handful of Dust
by Zoraya Windwalker
Summary: Be careful what you wish for, or it might actually happen. Lives will get turned upside down, hearts get broken and everything is NOT the way it should be. Also... nothing good EVER came of a wish that starts with "I wish you could..."!
1. Be careful what you wish for

Aaaand, here I go again. My second multi-chapter fiction for TVD. Don't know how many chapters there are going to be yet, but I think at least ten. We'll see^^

As for all of my other stories: A huge thanks to my amazing beta AVECIA (you should go read her stories, if you haven't already!).

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about TVD. And the title is from "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot

Now, on with it!

Elena was _livid_. Not just a little bit upset, or even angry. Right now there was a kind of fire burning through her veins that she scared herself a little bit. Or… she would, if she were able to set her mind on something else than all that anger.

_How dare he?_

Since the day she had met Damon Salvatore, she had been pissed at him plenty of times. Really, it was kind of normal by now that she cursed his name at _least_ once a week. But never, ever like this.

Because right now, all she wanted to do was reach inside his chest and rip his heart out – similar to what Elijah had done to those two vampires on that day as she went to sacrifice herself. She knew it was a little over the top, those bloody, cruel thoughts. But she wanted to cause him pain – pain that would rival what she felt herself right now.

As she pushed down harder onto the accelerator, she recalled the moment that had brought on this rage.

_Flashback_

"_How can you compel other vampires? I mean, I know that you've been around for quite some time, but it still seems strange to me."_

_Elijah cocked his head to the side as he looked at her._

"_Why do you want to know?"_

"_I don't know. I'm just curious I guess. Katherine had been this… frightening shadow of the past for quite some time. Then she breezes into town and turns everything upside down. It took a whole bunch of people – vampires, witches and humans alike – to overpower her. And then you come along and tell her to stay in there… and she just does. It's freaking me out. Just a little bit."_

_The vampire just nodded, as if satisfied with her reasoning and then answered._

"_Well…it's certainly not a common trait, not even among us Old Ones, of that I can assure you. But the very first vampires weren't at all like the ones now. Not even I know how the very first – Klaus – came to be. But I? I was chosen to be made into something immortal because of a few other traits I already possessed. Just like I am able to do now, I could compel people back then. Even when I was human. It was something that caught Klaus' attention I imagine – something he wanted for himself- so he turned me. And with the change, this power was enhanced. Now, almost no mind is safe from me, there is no other compulsion with more force and power."_

_Elena had a thoughtful look on her face as he finished._

"_So… when you say it is more powerful than any other compulsion… does that mean you can override someone else's, too?"_

_That definitely got his interest. He had learned quickly that with Elena, he always was in for surprises. At the beginning of their… deal, he just wanted to make sure that she would stay alive long enough for her to be able to lure Klaus out when he was ready to kill him. He kept watching her from the sidelines, making sure that she stayed true to her word. But he started to… well, not _like_ per say, for he had been too long without his feelings to actually like someone but… she intrigued him. And so he started to visit her every once in a while talking or listening… whatever they were in the mood for. And he learned that most of the time, a simple question from her, most likely was not so simple at all. So…_

"_Is there a reason you are asking? Or is that just your need to know everything there is to know, again?"_

"_Yes, actually there is a reason. The day that Rose and Trevor brought me to that old house, you ripped my necklace off. The one with vervain in it? Well, I thought it was gone for good, but then, after I came out of the shower that evening, it was suddenly around my neck again, and I can't remember how it got there so…"_

"_So you think that someone compelled you to forget what happened."_

_Elena just nodded in agreement and waited._

"_Well, I guess I could erase the compulsion. If there really is one. But whoever brought the necklace back to you was obviously not a threat. Are you sure you want this? There has to be a reason…"_

"_Yes, I am sure." She knew he hated to be interrupted, but there really was no reason for him to talk on. She knew what she wanted._

"_Alright then. But you have to take it off first – not even I can enter your mind with the protection of vervain."_

_She nodded again and, without any hesitation, took the necklace off and deposited it on the coffee table._

_He sat on the table, right in front of her, and stared deep into her eyes, pupils dilating._

"_You are going to remember everything from the night you got your necklace back. Whatever you had to forget, it will come back to you now."_

_And just like that, everything came rushing back to her._

_Damon told her he loved her. That he was _in love_ with her. And then he made her forget._

_No sooner than the memories were back, her face twisted in anger and she shot up off the couch, grabbed her car keys off the table beside the door and stormed out, leaving Elijah in her living room, not caring one bit that she was acting like a loon._

_End of Flashback_

Her car came to a skittering halt in front of the Boarding House, and she was rushing to the front door even before the dust from the gravel had entirely settled.

She didn't knock – barely even slowed her steps – as she raced inside, her feet carrying her straight into the parlor.

He was there of course; sitting on the couch, tumbler of Bourbon in one hand, and some old, leather-bound book in the other.

He didn't even look at her, just reading on and taking a sip out of the glass.

"What can I do for you on this wonderful day? If you're looking for Stefan, he's not here at the moment. Probably out, trying to extinguish the entire squirrel population this side of the Equator and… hey, I was reading that!"

The last comment was due to the fact that Elena, eyes aflame with barely contained rage, took the book out of his hand, throwing it aside without consideration.

"You have three guesses how much I _don't_ care about that. I mean, it's not as if _you_ are in the habit of caring what people want or do before you go and ruin everything!"

Damon was officially confused now. True, Elena was known to change her mind – or mood – without a moment's notice, but this was ridiculous even for her standards. Usually he at least _knew_ what he had done wrong – this time though, he had _no_ idea, whatsoever. He had kept his distance from her lately (at least, as far as she knew. There was no reason to tell her that he was standing guard in front of her house at night). He hadn't picked a fight with Judgy, and it had been ages since he riled up his saintly brother or Vampire Barbie. At least enough for them to go venting to Elena. So right now, he was kind of lost.

"Right. Okay, you're pissed – hard not to notice. Care to tell me what I've done to deserve it before you go, ripping me to shreds?"

Suddenly Elena was very, very calm. Her posture relaxed, her hands – which had been balled into fists – straightened out, and a sweet, innocent smile replaced the sneer on her face. The alarm bells in his head were going crazy in an instant. If he knew one thing about Elena, it was that this calm demeanor was spelling trouble for him. In big, capital letters. So instead of staying seated on the couch and being an easy target, he pushed himself out of it, before sauntering over to the dry bar.

She turned to face him again, and just as he was about to take a sip of his newly poured drink, she started to talk.

"I love you Elena, and it's because I love you, that I can't be selfish with you…."

His eyes went wide with shock as he stared at her; voice imitating his usual drawl.

"Why you can't know this…. I don't deserve you. But my brother does."

"Elena…"

He wanted her to stop speaking; he desperately wanted her to just _stop_. But she spoke right on, voice getting only louder as he tried to get a word in.

"God, I wish you didn't have to forget this…. But you do."

As she was finished reciting – word for fucking word - the most selfless words he had ever spoken, they were just standing there, looking at each other, not daring to move.

Her eyes still held too much anger, burning her from the inside out, while his were anguished, sad… nearly vulnerable. But right now, she didn't care. Only hours before, she might have rejoiced at this show of humanity, but right now she was beyond that. Right now, the only thing she cared about, was this deep feeling of betrayal.

"After every bad thing you have done, after all the chaos you have been responsible for in the beginning… the one reason I have always been able to forgive you, has been because you've been honest with me. When you messed up – not matter how small or big – you told me what had happened. You never made a secret out of the person you are, you never tried to make me believe that you are something that you're _not_. I was able to trust you, Damon. And then you go, and mess with my memory. You know that this is what I fear most about vampires – the ability to mess with a human mind. And then you… the _one_ I was so sure would never do something like that…. How _could_ you? I…"

Shaking her head, she turned on her heel, trying to get out of this house before she did something stupid. Like trying to slap him again, or stake him or…. She didn't really know what. She just had to get out of there. But before she could, a hand wrapped around her forearm, holding her in place.

She could still make out the pain in his eyes, but this time it was overshadowed by the same fire burning in hers.

"Oh, way to go, _Miss Gilbert_! I have no idea how you remembered this, but don't play the act of the poor victim here. It's not as if I made you forget about what I did to Jeremy – or any of those other horrible, _horrible_ things I did."

The last sentence had been full of mock, and her features hardened even more. This was Damon, trying to protect himself, and there was no reasoning when he was in that mood. But as she, herself, wasn't thinking quite straight at the moment, she couldn't care less about it.

"No, you just chose to take the easy way out, like always. Things get too tough for you, and you reserve to dirty tricks. A human man couldn't have made me forget. He would have to live with the fact that I know, and don't feel the same way in return. People do that every day!"

She knew that she was being a bitch. A gruesome one at that but… she was hurting, and she wanted him to feel the same thing.

"Yeah well, the last time I checked, I _wasn't_ human. Like you said: I never pretended to be someone I'm not! What is your problem anyway? I made you forget what I said. Big deal! I hardly think that you want to know – you're too busy fucking my brother to notice what's going on with anyone else!"

Elena stared at him wide-eyed, all fight suddenly gone, leaving her dead tired, and her limbs heavy as lead. She tried to pull her arm out of his grip, but he wouldn't let go, instead only changing his grip so he was surrounding her wrist. As she didn't retaliate in any way he calmed down again, finally registering what he had said to her, feeling instantly guilty.

"Look Elena I'm sorry I…"

"I shouldn't have come here …"

They smiled sheepishly at each other, and Damon gestured for her to speak first.

"I shouldn't have come here until I calmed down again but…"

"But?"

"I was just _so_ angry all of a sudden. I never thought you would do something like that. Not you."

Her tone was sad and tired. And beside the fact that he _really_ wanted to know how she remembered, he wanted to make up for betraying her trust.

"It's alright but… I really had to say it, but I also couldn't burden you with this. Making you forget was… the only way I could think about to have it both ways."

They were silent for a few moment moments before they started to speak at the same time – again.

"_**I just wish you could know how it feels to be me right now."**_

The moment they fell silent again, the bracelet around Elenas wrist – the bracelet slightly hidden under Damons hand; the one that had been a Christmas present from Bonnie– began to glow. Before they even realized what was happening light began to explode outwards, slamming into them and knocking them out cold in an instant. Soon the light faded again, leaving the Boarding House quiet and peaceful with the two of them completely unconscious on the floor.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

So… I know you probably think that there is a body switch going on, but that's actually not the case, so just bear with me! Also…PLEASE let me know what you think about this first chapter… if I SHOULD even continue with it, or if I'm wasting my time, because it's not good anyways. Just click on the little button below to let me know. Reviews are love, people!

So long,

Zora


	2. Laugh until you cry

Okay so, first thing?: WOW! Guys, I NEVER had this many reviews for one chapter! I'm over the moon happy right now, and all because of you so… keep it up, PLEASE!

And because I had so many reviews, I was EXTRA fast with the second chapter *laugh*. Now, a huge thanks to AVECIA (who is not only the best beta I can wish for, but is also very busy advertising my stories all the time so… go read HER stories, too!).

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about TVD, I just mess with them for the hell of it!

On with it!

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Neither Elena nor Damon had any idea how long they had been out for, but they started to come to at exactly the same time.

Groaning, touching their foreheads – trying to shake off the residue dizziness – they sat up and looked at each other, both trying to find the answer to what had just happened in the face of the other.

Then Elena noticed something strange… well, more than _one_ something, really. First, she could see, hear and _smell_ way better than ever before. Everything looked the same, but still nothing like before at the same time. Everything was sharper, more pronounced.

Damon had a problem on a whole other level. He felt like someone had packed him up in a few layers of cotton wool, for everything was dull and _flat_.

He ignored the feeling for the moment though – it had probably something to do with whatever had just happened – and came to his feet. Deciding that the best plan of action was to get himself something to eat ( or well, drink) he took a still half-full glass of Bourbon off the coffee table and made his way into the kitchen. He noticed that Elena was following him, a strange expression on her face, but thought nothing of it, because he was suddenly _starving_. In the kitchen, he took one of the blood-bags out of the fridge, and emptied part of it into his glass and took a sip – only to spit it out the moment it touched his tongue.

He had no time to ponder on the fact that the mix of alcohol and blood had tasted disturbingly wrong to him, as Elena was in front of him in an inhuman burst of speed, eying the droplets of blood still on his lips with a curiosity that was far from healthy for a human.

And then he finally realized the other thing that had been off since he had woken up again. It was that oddly rhythmic beating coming from underneath his own ribs. He had a heartbeat. A _heartbeat_!

Dull senses, no hunger for blood and a heartbeat? Not good. Not good at _all_.

The moment he had been distracted by his realizations, Elena had come even closer. She was licking her lips (and that girl just had no idea – whatsoever – what she was doing to him right now) and the white of her eyes had turned entirely red, veins appearing all around her eyes. She was looking more like Katherine than ever before. _He_ was obviously no longer a vampire. But _Elena_ was.

"Elena? I think we have a…"

He was trying to say that they had a problem (regardless of the fact that it was kind of obvious) but was interrupted by her as she shoved him against the counter. _Hard_. He was still wincing from the pain of his lower back hitting the edge of the counter, as she took a handful of his hair to bend his head back; then, before he knew it was happening he felt the sensation of his skin and flesh ripping were she lodged her newly acquired fangs into his throat. His eyes wide open he tried to push her off him – usually, he wouldn't have a problem with her having a taste, but he really doubted that she knew the first thing of restraint… or even how much was _too_ much for her _donor_ to survive.

But he wasn't successful (big surprise there, what with him no longer a member of the undead) and already he started to feel lightheaded, his eyelids growing heavy and his breathing labored.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness for the second time that day she was suddenly gone and he slumped to the floor, half leaning against the counter behind him, half lying on the floor. He looked up to find out why he wasn't dead and – to his surprise – he saw his brother standing between him and Elena. Her face was still showing her demonic side, and her lips were now smeared with his blood. On any other day the sight of her would have turned him on – he had always thought that Elena would make a formidable vampire, with her strong head and the way nothing ever seemed to faze her for too long – but right now he was too confused for that. Also, he was shockingly glad to see his brother, so there was no place for anything as carnal as desire.

He tried to stand up again, not wanting anyone to think he was weak or vulnerable, but he had a hard time doing so. He was dizzy from the blood loss and his surroundings swam in and out of focus. After a few moments of this useless struggle, Stefan was in front of him, hauling him up and getting him to sit down on a chair, pressing a folded up dishtowel to the still-bleeding bite marks on his throat. As soon as this nightmare was over, he would have to drink for weeks straight to forget how utterly…. _humiliating_ this was, but right now he was kind of glad to have Stefan here.

By now Elena's features had turned back to normal and she had a shocked expression on her face, hands clasped over her bloodstained mouth.

Now there they where, Damon barely conscious, Elena horrified, nearly hyperventilating and Stefan just plain confused.

He also noticed how she was keeping her distance to the stream of sunlight coming in from the windows, and in a moment of compassion (something he would later blame on the blood loss) he took off his ring and threw it in her general direction.

She had no problem catching it with her improved reflexes, but as she had it between her fingers, she looked at him with question marks written all over her face.

"It's most likely too big for you, so just put it on a necklace and wear it around your neck for now. It just has to touch your skin, so you won't get burned by the sun."

She still looked dumbfounded, but then she slipped the ring over her thumb – not having a necklace in reach just now - and then tentatively stepped into the sunlight. As it didn't burn her, she instantly blurred over to him, and sank down on her knees. Stefan was watching them closely as she pushed the dishtowel away to look at the wound she had caused. She gasped slightly at what she saw – not neat little puncture wounds, but ripped flesh; caused as Stefan had pulled her off his brother, and her teeth had cut and ripped away at the flesh on their way out.

"I'm _so_ sorry Damon! I don't know what's gotten into me, I would never…"

She stopped halfway through her sentence, her face taking on a strange expression, before her features lit up. The next thing he knew, she bit into her own wrist and held it to his mouth. She had remembered the time that Stefan had given Bonnie his blood – to heal her after Damon drank from her.

He hesitated for only a moment before he drank the offered blood. Seconds later, he felt the wound closing up, and soon there was not a trace of it left.

She inspected his throat again and only stood up as she saw that it was unmarred as if nothing had happened.

Both Damon and Elena were staring at each other now, trying to comprehend what had happened. They had gone from an argument to being unconscious to… being each other – for the lack of a better explanation.

"So… would one of you care to tell me what the hell is going on here? I mean… I'm gone for a few hours, and I find my _girlfriend_ without a heartbeat and _with_ fangs and my brother _human_ again. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but even for Mystic Falls standards that's strange. So?"

They both looked at Stefan as if he had grown a second head all of a sudden.

"Seriously, Stefan? Does it _look_ to you as if we know what happened?"

He just shook his head at his little brother… sometimes he really acted as if he were a seventeen year old. Out of the corner of his eyes, his saw Elena's eyes growing darker again, and her eyes wander to his throat. And as he certainly didn't want a repeat performance from earlier, he got a fresh glass out of a cupboard and filled the rest of the blood bag into it, holding the glass out for Elena to take. For a moment he thought she would refuse – maybe demand that someone go and get her a bunny or a squirrel or something, but she simply shrugged her shoulders, took the glass from him and emptied it in one go.

When she was done, she licked the residue blood from her lips and grinned at him.

"Thanks – I really needed that. I was so _hungry_, you have _no_ idea!"

He just chuckled at her. Because a) they both knew that he had more than just an idea of how hungry she had been and b)… yeah, he loved Elena, all human and breathing and fragile (at least physically). But now she was even better. Waking up as a vampire after being knocked out by a strange light – and she didn't even throw a tantrum of flip out or something.

In fact, she had adjusted so quickly that it kind of freaked him out. In the back of his mind, he registered that Stefan was saying something again, but he was way too busy watching Elena who, in turn, was fascinated by the way the sun broke on her glass, painting patterns onto the walls.

That girl was just too adorable for her own good. She should be – by all means – freaking out and demanding a way out of this mess. Instead, she worked off her instincts, and did pretty well, too. Well, despite the fact that she had nearly killed him, that is. Couldn't blame one for _that_ though… they both had said some pretty hurtful things before they got knocked out and she wasn't even remotely accustomed to how heightened feelings could get, being a vampire.

As he played their fight over in his head, he noticed something, but just to be sure…

"Elena… before we got knocked off our feet… what _exactly_ did you say?"

She blinked a few times, trying to focus on him instead of the light-play on the walls.

"Come on, you know what I said. I remembered…"

"Yeah yeah, I know. You remembered that I messed with your memory. That's going to be an interesting conversation once we get this newest little obstacle out of the way, just so you know. But that's not what I meant. I mean, what was the _very last_ _thing_ you said."

Elena drew her eyebrows together as she tried to remember, and then her face lit up, before it grew darker again… she had come to the same conclusion as he had, apparently.

"I said that I wished you would know how I feel… at the exact same time, you said it, too. Oh… Oh no. This…" She gestured between their bodies to indicate what she meant,

"… this is our own fault, isn't it?"

He just sighed and threw a slightly uneven grin her way.

"Guess so. But last time I checked, neither you, nor me got an invitation to Hogwarts. And unless you told your Judgy little friend to have some fun with her magic, I have no idea how we managed _this_."

Stefan was standing near the fridge now, and had resolved himself to watch and listen, as neither of the two seemed to care what he had to say. Also… it was kind of interesting to watch them interact – in that sick kind of way people always watch car crashes.

Elena was not looking at anything, her eyes far away, lost in thought, her fingers fiddling with her bracelet. And then she suddenly lost the thoughtful look, and stared at the bracelet before she started cursing a blue streak. In Italian. Huh… another thing to take a closer look at, because Damon was pretty sure that most of the words she was using (or the language), weren't in her vocabulary before this… _thing_.

Both he and Stefan waited before her little tantrum was over, and she started to explain. Which she did.

"This bracelet was a Christmas present from Bonnie."

She held her arm up to show it to them, but they both had identical, blank expressions on their faces. Rolling her eyes, she tried again.

"I got this from Bonnie. Who is a witch."

She was _this_ near to just banging her head on the kitchen counter as they _still_ looked clueless.

"Oh, come on guys, it's not _that_ hard to understand. It's a charm bracelet… and it's not uncommon that people place good wishes into those charms. In Bonnie's case, she told me that she wished for my dreams and innermost wishes to come true. And earlier, when I was so angry, I wished for nothing more than for you to know just how _bad_ I was hurting. And I guess the fact that you spoke the exact same words… wished for the same thing, didn't help in the least."

She watched as comprehension dawned on their faces and sat down on a chair. They all just stared at each other, not knowing what to do, as Stefan suddenly burst out laughing. In just a few seconds, he was laughing so hard, that he actually had tears running down his cheeks.

"What the hell? What's so fucking funny here? Care to share with the class?" Damon demanded in disbelief at his brother's lack of compassion… and his sudden change from Mr. Broody into a laughing maniac.

It was nearly another minute until he had entirely calmed down, but then he wiped the tears off his cheeks, and looked at them.

"Well, it _is_ kind of funny, don't you think? I mean, everybody always wants you to act more like a human – while at the same time being concerned about Elena being too vulnerable because she's _just_ human. And now… Elena isn't so human anymore, and you can't get any closer to your humanity. You _have_ to see the irony in this!"

Both Damon and Elena just shook their head at Stefan, for once being on the same page: Stefan had totally lost his mind.

But then, they thought about what he had said again, and they finally realized just what this meant… no more flipping the switch on his feelings, no more compelling his way out of problems, and no more being superior because of strength, speed and senses.

And Elena? God, Elijah would be pissed, Jeremy would freak out, and Bonnie… well, she would actually have a field day, seeing Damon like this…before freaking out about yet again royally screwing up.

All in all? Well, _fuck_.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

See? No body switch! Told you! Now, as I'm done with the chapter (and because I was so fast with this update!) please let me know what you think about it… just click on the little button below and leave me a few words! Reviews are love!

So long,

Zora


	3. Feel the sun and the wind

So, I know this update took me a little bit longer than the last, but I really had a problem deciding how everyone (you know, Bonnie, Caroline, Jeremy…) will react to what happened so… yeah, I know, bad excuse, but it's everything I have^^.

Now, as always I owe a HUGE thank you to my beta AVECIA (her stories are awesome – go read them people!). Also, thank you people, for all the great reviews, I love you all to BITS for them, so please, keep them coming!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about TVD; I just mess with them for fun!

On with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Stefan was leaning onto the back wall of the Boarding House, watching his brother sitting on the lawn, his face turned up so he could feel the full blast of the sun on it. Trying to watch Elena was hopeless at the moment, as she had taken to trying out how fast she could run… and it was really _damn_ fast. The girl was enjoying this way too much for her own good, but then again, so was his brother.

When Damon and Elena had finally calmed down, they actually started to see the up's of this situation. The elder Salvatore was basking in one of those _up's_ right now: feeling the sun again. _Really_ feeling it, not just walking in it, hidden under the protections of a spell; because no matter how nice those rings where, how good it was that they didn't have to hide until the night-time to come out… direct contact with the sun still wasn't all that much fun. It still was disturbing. And as Damon always had loved the sun, he had hated it that much more.

And Elena… well, it wasn't like she was rejoicing in the fact that she now had to drink blood, be careful of vervain and would need an invitation to even get over the threshold of her own home. But she was faster now, stronger and with better reflexes; harder to kill, and that was something she rather liked.

They both knew that this… situation was short-lived, that they had to find a way out of it, but they chose to postpone it until the cavalry (read: Bonnie, Caroline, Alaric, Jeremy, Tyler and oddly enough, Elijah) had arrived. Which would be soon enough as messages had already been sent out to get them to come to the Boarding House ASAP. So Stefan let them have their fun while they could, all the while thinking about how messed up all of this was. Sure, he had been able to laugh about it earlier… but that was more due to the fact that, for once, his brother had been on the receiving end of someone way stronger than himself, and even more to his amusement about Elena being the stronger one – being a vampire.

He could see, without an inch of a doubt that his brother loved this. Loved the sun, the way he could feel his own heartbeat… god Damon had looked like he was about to keel over as he had made himself a sandwich, knowing that it would be enough to still his hunger – that there wouldn't be the need to rip some unsuspecting, poor soul apart. And Elena would hate it to be fragile again, in the need to be protected at all times.

But there was no way around it… no way he would allow Damon to keep Elena's humanity. He felt a little bit guilty that he would rather have Elena human again when it meant that he would have to crush Damon in order to achieve it but… she wouldn't need him anymore if she stayed like this, and he _needed_ her to need him. It was the only reason she was still with him (he knew that, even if she, herself, didn't) and he couldn't lose her. If she ever was to turn, she would grow tired of him… of trying to stay as human as he could. She couldn't turn, he wouldn't _allow_ it. She was his humanity. Without her, he would just be another vampire again, and he just didn't _want_ that to happen.

Sighing he went back inside, leaving the two to their antics. Soon enough, things would hopefully be returned to the way they were supposed to be.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Damon knew his brother had been watching him and Elena for a while. Vampire senses or not, he had always known when Stefan was watching him. But he couldn't quite bring himself to care right now. He was feeling the sun again, and there was no craving for blood… true, he could feel things that he rather wouldn't; near _crippling_ guilt over things done in the past and love for Elena right on top of that list, but even that failed to really matter to him. For as long as he had been undead, he had missed being alive. _Actually_ alive, with a heartbeat and the need for air, water and normal nutrients included.

He also knew that he couldn't stay like this. Right now Elena might enjoy her stint in the fanged club, but she would grow tired of it pretty soon. And when she was human again, he would _need_ to be a vampire, so he could make sure she survived the day when this ancient asshole came to town to search for the Petrova doppelganger. But right now Elena was having fun - speeding around and lifting up things that would normally be way too heavy for her - so he just leant back and did the same.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Elena could still remember the taste of Damon's blood on her tongue, and even though she felt guilty for hurting him… for very nearly _killing_ him, she also was surprised how much she _didn't_ care about the fact that she had been drinking blood. And the glass Damon had held under her nose, filled with the bagged stuff… not disgusting at all. Not as good as the fresh, warm blood straight from the source, with the pulse pounding along under her lips, echoing through her head while she drank, but good nonetheless.

Only a few hours ago, she would have turned green if someone would have held a glass filled with blood out for her to drink. But a few hours ago, blood tasted like a strange mix of metal and sugar-water, and nothing else. Now though… now there was so much more. With Damon, there were traces of alcohol and something dark and rich. There was adrenaline and a bit of fear and _love_. So much love, it nearly had made her dizzy. The bagged blood had been sweeter, no alcohol but something that vaguely tasted like cigars. Not the best taste in the world, but it made do. And it quenched her thirst, thank god.

Now she was outside, testing her body. The sun felt strange… sort of tingling, and her skin felt stretched too tight, like she was on the edge of catching a sunburn. But it didn't actually hurt, so it was okay. Other than that, she felt fantastic. She could run so fast that everything _flew_ by her, and her reflexes were great, as were her senses. And she was _strong_.

Of course she knew that there was no way she could stay like this. If Klaus came to town, only to learn that his designated sacrifice had lost her heartbeat – and hence, all her worth for him – he would be furious; just like he had been when Katherine (still Katerina, at the time) had done exactly that. And she would never be able to live with the consequences that this would have. She had long since accepted that she would die sooner rather than later. She would _never_ accept the deaths of her friends or family though. But in the meantime, she could as well enjoy this.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

After another few moments of just not caring about what happened, Elena suddenly stopped and cocked her head slightly to the side. She could hear voices from inside the Boarding House, and knew that her little fun-time was nearly over. She went back to where Damon was sitting and sank down beside him.

"The others are here."

Damon just looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, but otherwise didn't move.

"That was pretty fast. What the hell did St. Stefan _tell_ them?"

She smirked at that, for some reason glad that Damon was still…. Well, _Damon_. It would be really unnerving if he would be all… nice and southern Gentleman-ly all of a sudden.

"Don't know. Don't really care either. I think he's acting a little bit bi-polar though. First, he laughs his ass off, and then he's standing in the shadows, watching us with eagle eyes and a condescending stare. He should really make his mind up about… oh…. Why did I just say that?"

As soon as she realized that she was sounding… not all that fond of Stefan, her eyes had widened and she had stopped. Damon just smirked though, more than a little bit amused. But he had the feeling it wouldn't be wise to rile her up just now, so he schooled his features and tried to give her an answer that would calm her down again.

"Don't worry. We both know that you don't like how he jumps to conclusions on a regular basis. And as you are a vampire, everything you would feel as a human, is heightened. Meaning it bothers you even more than usual. Nothing to worry about, just… tone it down, think before you talk, and everything will be alright. Also, I'm pretty sure they'll have you back on your normal diet in no time at all."

With that he stood up, holding his hand out to her to help her do the same. With a last glance at the sun, he turned around and went inside, closely followed by Elena.

xoxoxoxoxo

As they entered the parlor, they were welcomed by chaos. Nearly everyone was trying to ask questions or get a word in. The only one quiet seemed to be Elijah – who was standing, arms crossed over his chest, in front of the fireplace. As he saw them coming in he lifted an eyebrow at them. Elena just shrugged her shoulders, as if to say _'it's not my fault'_. He rolled his eyes in return, but shot her a quick, sardonic grin to let her know that he wasn't angry at her. Elena felt a great weight having been lifted from her shoulders. Elijah's reaction was the only one she had been really _afraid_ of; knowing she was only worth something (at least, for him and his agenda) alive.

Now that she knew that he wouldn't flip and… rip out her heart or something, she could worry about her friends. She first tried to clear her throat to get their attention, and when that didn't help, call them by their names. Still nothing, though; they were too busy wondering how the hell she became a vampire. Listening to the different comments (_Bonnie: it was Damon, wasn't it? I swear, the moment I lay eyes on him I'm going to make his head _explode_… Tyler: Great, just fantastic. Another fanged one… Caroline: Hey, what's that supposed to mean!…) _it was obvious that Stefan hadn't had the chance to tell them that, actually, she wasn't the only one that had undergone some drastic changes here.

Rolling her eyes, she stepped fully inside the room, and let out a shrill whistle, finally shutting her friends up. And before they could start to talk again, asking if it was true…

"Would you all please tone it down? You're giving me a headache with all the ruckus you're making."

To emphasize her words – and to tell them without words that it _really_ was true - she let her eyes turn bloodshot and the veins around them appear – giving them a nice shark-grin for good measure.

Looking around the room, she noticed a few things at once.

First: Caroline looked way too pleased; probably being glad that she wasn't the only female vampire in the vicinity any more (they wouldn't count Katherine. She was too much of a bitch to have sleepovers with). She was nearly sorry that she had to disappoint her friend.

Second: Jeremy obviously couldn't decide if he should be worried (for her wellbeing? His own safety?) or relieved (well, at least there was no chance that anyone would try to make a human sacrifice out of his sister anymore… as she wasn't, you know, _human_ anymore).

Third: Bonnie just looked plain murderous. And her eyes were fixed on Damon. _Not good_.

She could see by the way Bonnies eyes were focusing in on him that she intended to do what she had said only moments before. She would use her damn headache-trick on him again. Only this time, the vessels that would explode wouldn't just heal over within a moment's notice – he would simply _die_. So without even a second thought, she rushed in front of Damon; just in time, too, for the next thing she knew, was that there was a really nasty pain in her head, making her fall to her knees and pulling at her hair. She heard an anguished scream somewhere, only realizing that it was her own after she felt it reverberating in her head.

The pain finally stopped after what seemed like an eternity (but in reality really wasn't even half a minute) as Bonnie found her way out of her magical induced haze and realized that it wasn't, in fact, Damon on the floor, writhing in pain. As soon as she stopped her spell, she was on her feet and then down on her knees, trying to get to her. Only there was no way past Damon right now. He let out a low growl (vampire or not, he sounded scary right then – also, Bonnie wasn't aware of the fact that he was a mere mortal now; not yet, at least) and scooped Elena into his arms, carrying her to the couch and carefully laid her down. As he knew from experience that he couldn't do anything to help her right now, he focused his eyes on Bonnies, giving her a glare that made her take a step back.

"Right. Now listen up Judgy, because I'm only saying this _once_. It might be a hobby of yours to pin every bad thing that happens on me, but this time it's actually been _your_ turn to fuck up. _You_ gave her this nice little trinket, and _you_ were the one with the '_good wishes'_. I didn't kill her, _Madam Mim_. You screwed up, and now Elena is stuck being a vampire, and _I_ am alive; _human_. So take your prejudices elsewhere, they aren't _needed_ right now."

Bonnie – and everyone else – just stared at him, not quite comprehending what he had just said.

Well, the exception being Elijah, but his comment didn't really help at all.

"Huh. Now, _this_ is what I call an interesting turn of events."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Aaaand, done! Well, at least for this chapter^^. So, there we are now… everyone knows what had happened. Now it can really start to get interesting. BUT, I leave it to you people to decide if you want to see how Elena copes first, or if you want the next chapter to revolve around Damon. So, let me know, just click on the little button and let me know (also, PLEASE tell me what you think of this chapter!). Reviews are love, people!

So long,

Zora


	4. Running in circles

So, here I am with a new chapter, and some news: as I'm moving right now, I won't have internet for much longer. It's going to take two or three weeks to get it set up in the new house, and I have NO idea if there is an internet café anywhere nearby. BUT, I'm going to write in the meantime, so I guess I'll have at least two or three chapters ready when I'm back online! Now… a huge thanks to my beta AVECIA, she's awesome! AND, to all of you people who read and review this story, thank you so much!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about TVD, I just mess with them for fun!

On with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

A few hours after the unfortunate incident with Bonnie, everyone finally had calmed down a bit. Sure, Elena was still a vampire, and Damon still human, but at least they knew how to… get rid of the _problem_ again. It seemed that, even though Bonnie hadn't consciously done anything with the bracelet, her honest, and good-natured wishes had been enough to weave a complicated spell into said item of jewellery. Now, as both and Elena had wanted this change – even though they hadn't meant what they had said quite this literately – they just had to wish for everything to return back to the way it was and everything would be back to normal again. Well, as normal as anything could get in Mystic Falls, at least.

They couldn't change back right now though. Because of some strange sun, moon or star constellations (Damon and Elena both had opted to not listen too closely to Bonnies descriptions… it was just plain boring) they couldn't do this until the waning moon phase – because according to Bonnie, the waning moon was for banishing magic.

So now they were trapped like this, for about another ten days. The witch had looked as though she was about to be sick, as she realized that for the time being, her _other_ best friend was stuck being a vampire – as if one undead best friend wasn't enough already. She hadn't so much as wasted a thought on Damon; well, she had, but not the sympathetic kind. She had been rather thrilled to learn that he was _completely_ human right now. Feelings (guilt) and everything.

Elena had grown tired of the bickering between her friends rather quickly, and had roped her brother into going home with her. She would have gone alone, usually, but she needed him to invite her in. Also, she wanted him there in case she had the stupid idea to munch on Jenna. Jeremy, at least, was somewhat safe from her, as long as he was wearing the Gilbert ring. Also, she had him go get a few vervain darts from Alaric, just to be on the safe side.

Her brother was sitting on the passenger's seat in her car now, eying her suspiciously, all the while trying to hide the fact he was doing it. It wasn't that he was afraid of her, he just didn't know what to expect from her. Would she start to act like Damon? One never knew how magic messed with everything; and as Elena had Damon's… vampiric side now, who knew what else she got along the way?

Or – and that was even worse – would she find that stupid little switch, shut off her feelings and turn into a second Katherine? He shuddered at that thought, and sent a quick prayer up that _that_ wouldn't happen. He would be able to live with a newfound love for Bourbon, sarcasm and loud music, but another murderous queen bitch? Nope, not interested.

But apart from storming into the parlor and baring her fangs, snarling for them to tone down, she had acted mostly like her normal self.

They arrived home fast enough, and after he had invited her in, she quickly disappeared into her room, closing and locking it (and the adjoining bathroom door) behind her.

First things first: she closed her curtains so no sunbeams could get in, and took off Damon's ring. Taking a silver necklace from her jewellery case (taking off the old pendant), she put the ring onto it, before securing it around her neck. Cautiously she pulled the curtains open again, and as she edged her fingers into the sunlight she found it didn't burn her. Relieved at this, she grinned and went to her bed, taking her diary from the bedside table before making herself comfortable. Just as she opened it and wanted to start writing, she thought of something better… she hadn't been to visit her parents in quite some time, and right now she was safer than she had been in so long… true, Klaus (or some little helper, whatever) could still come and get her, but right now she wasn't in danger of getting sacrificed. Actually, if Katherine was to be believed, her friends and family were in far more danger at the moment, then she was herself.

So she packed the diary and a pen into a bag, opened her window and – after taking a deep breath – leapt out of it running as fast as she could. She knew from experience that anybody who wasn't supernatural wouldn't have seen her, because human eyes just weren't made to follow movements that fast.

In no time at all she arrived at the cemetery and slowed down. She wouldn't rush her way there, so she opened the gates, and slowly wandered between the headstones and tombs until she had reached her destination. For a moment she just stood there, closed her eyes, and listened to and felt her surroundings. She had done this since she first came here – not just after the death of her parents, but even as a child, as she came here to find a little peace in her usually loud and hectic life. Before the accident, she had been a totally different person… cheerleader, queen bee in high school. Always at parties, always surrounded by handsome boys (and let's face it, they really had been just boys – no man in sight) that had wanted her and beautiful girls that had envied her. And she had basked in all that. But even back then, she had needed a little alone-time. With her eyes closed, she had been able to enjoy the peace around there; the only sounds to be heard were the rushing of the wind through the trees, and the chirping of birds. Sometimes she could hear some small animal or the other fleeing into the underbrush, but other than that, nothing.

It was nearly the same now just… not. There were still no disturbing noises, only now that she could hear so much better, she noticed a few other things, too. Like the rushing of the river, the hollow sound the water made, echoing under Wickery Bridge. Or a little farther away, someone was tending to the flowers on another grave. And the woods seemed to be bustling with life.

But it wasn't disturbing in the least, not at all. It just showed how much life there was around her, everywhere. So she sat down, cross-legged, elbows on her thighs and head propped in her hands. She sat like this for nearly ten minutes, trying to bring a little order into her thoughts, before she gave her parents a little summary of her day – starting with Elijah, making her remember what Damon had wanted her to forget, and ending with her decision to come here.

"So… now you know. I kind of… died today, without actually getting killed, or having an accident or… well, anything. But don't worry, I'm okay. _Really_ okay. I even kind of like it like this. I mean, I know I can't just stay like this because, first: that would mean that Damon would stay human, and I don't think he would like that. Second: it's way too dangerous for the others. I mean, Katherine told me what Klaus did to her family when she turned. I don't want the same thing happening to Jeremy and Jenna… or anyone else that matters to me. But I guess as long as I'm stuck like this – at least ten days still – I can just… lean back and enjoy the ride or something like that…"

She drifted off then, just staring ahead, her thoughts on overdrive. She came here to be near to her past; to her parents, and to the girl she had once been. Here in the quiet peace of the cemetery, she could think about everything, be whomever she wanted to be. So she let her mind wander, and reenacted the whole day in her mind. Her conversation with Elijah, and how angry she had been at Damon. Though, now that everything had settled down again, she realized that she wasn't only angry, but hurt too. She had felt betrayed – worse than when she had discovered that she was an exact replica of Katherine, worse than when Stefan was back on human blood, and had been lying to her about it. And even though it shamed her to recognize it, even to herself, it was even worse than when Damon had snapped Jeremy's neck. Because she knew, what he had done to Jeremy had been because he was drunk and hurt, and because he had wanted to hurt her in turn. Also, it had been a split-second decision but… as he came to her to tell her that… that he loved her, that he was _in love_ with her…_that_ had been planned. He brought the necklace back, he told her, and he erased it again. And he had been sober, and nobody had attacked him – at least emotionally – before that. So it had been all him, and that realization had just _hurt_ so bad, it was unlike everything else since she learned that her parents had died. And all because Damon was… well, Damon. With Stefan she would have been just angry, if he had messed with her memory. But Damon had never once lied to her, not about anything. So she had trusted him beyond what was probably healthy. She trusted him more than Stefan, no matter if that made her a bad girlfriend or not.

From the moment she knew about vampires, she had also known what he was capable of. He had never tried to deceive her, and over time, she learned to appreciate his honesty, even if it had hurt sometimes. And then he went and betrayed that trust.

Shaking her head, she tried to steer her head away from this train of thought, because it just made her angry again, and she knew for a fact that that might not be the best thing at the moment. Who knew what she would do, now that she had a craving for blood and the hunt, and was way stronger than a human? So she thought of something else.

Like the moment Damon had seen that she was keeping her distance to the sun, coming in the windows. She had seen it on his face – the exact moment he realized that the sun would burn her. There was no hesitation at all, as he just took his ring off and threw it in her direction. He did that, without knowing if he really was safe from the sun, and despite the fact she had attacked him not a minute earlier. Hell, he had still been bleeding, red seeping through the dishtowel pressed to his throat. And still he had been concerned for her.

That thought brought a smile to her face, because she had been reminded _why_ she had this unshakable trust in this man. Because no matter how much he tried to make everyone believe he was a monster, that was far from the truth… well, most of the time, anyway. She had no illusions about what he could do, if he wanted to… or what he had done in the past.

Frustrated she pushed herself back to her feet. She had thought that a visit there would help in calming her down, but her thoughts were running in circles. She should worry about Klaus, or if she would be able to keep a leash on her cravings and… well, there were probably other things too, but for some reason it was only Damon on her mind.

With a final look and a soft smile at the tombstone, she left the cemetery, and slowly made her way back home. Halfway there, she remembered that she had wanted to write about her day and rolled her eyes at herself. That was just typical; Damon had always been able to completely distract her from everything – and now he even managed to do so without actually being anywhere near her.

Well… on the other hand, he had probably never been this close to her. She hadn't told anyone earlier, but something else had happened, despite this strange change.

Thing is: there where two different sets of memories in her head now. Of course there was her own life, but… there were other things too. Like, she remembered getting shot, and dying. And there was the scene of some Bar or the other in her head, only the people wore old-fashioned clothes, and the music played in the background was Jazz. That in itself wouldn't have been strange but as she exited the Bar (or, not really she, but the person from which point of view she was experiencing it – Damon) there were really old cars out there and the newspaper on a stand nearby read the date of February 23. Year, 1925. After a few blocks of walking, she went around the corner and surprised a couple in a really heavy make-out session. The man was soon compelled and sent on his way, and a few minutes later the woman was on the ground, bloodless and with eyes staring sightless into the sky. They weren't the only unfamiliar memories, but they were the ones that scared her the most.

So /in addition to his immortality, she had also received a few of Damons memories.

She groaned as she snapped back to reality and ran the rest of the way home. Suddenly all she wanted to do was get into bed and hide out under her covers.

What a mess. And even though she tried not to think of Damon anymore today, the last thought before she fell asleep later that night was,_ I wonder how Damon is doing right now._

_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

Right so, I know this chapter was a little boring, but I had to… well, ease Elena into being a vampire, I guess. The next chapter will be totally Damon-centric, but still in the same, boring category, because I have to do the same "easing" for him as well…. Anyways, please let me know what you think about this chapter (besides it being boring, that is) – just click on the little button below and leave me a few words. Reviews are love, people!

So long,

Zora


	5. Down the memory lane

I'm back! The phone company had been working faster than I thought, so I have my internet back already, and I have a new chapter for you, just like I promised!

Now: thanks to my readers and all you lovely reviewers (god, I could KISS you all, I LOVED your reviews!) AND to my beta AVECIA, because without her I would be totally lost! (go read her stories: she is so good, that she made me LIKE her Damon/Caroline stories!)

Oh and... Damon is pretty OOC in this but... well, he IS human, after all. And as the strange behaviour is happening mostly in his thoughts... I just had to depict that he REALLY is human right now, no trace of vampire left, whatsoever. And we saw in the last flashback ep that Damon really WAS a caring person, once upon a time. And that persona showed more often, recently so... I just went with it. Sorry if it's a bit overkill though...xD.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about the Vampire Diaries, I just mess with them for fun!

Now, on with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Never in all his life (unlife, whatever) had he been so glad to be alone. The time between this weird light, knocking him out to now – finally in his room – had felt like a whole decade. He could have dealt with the repercussions of this thing way better if people just would mind their own damn business.

So, okay, Elena had a right to be around and act a little strange, as she was just as much a part of this as he was. And _maybe_ Stefan, because of the whole my-girlfriend-turned-into-a-vampire-thing. And he was well aware that Bonnie had been needed, because it had been her fault to begin with. Well, mostly anyway. Sure, it was his fault that Elena had been this angry (and god, she had been damn hot... eyes spitting fire and moving with a whole new passion...) to begin with. But it wasn't as if he had _planned_ for her to remember! But no matter who would win the blame-game, the fact was that he just wanted a little bit of peace and quiet right now.

His head hurt, because the sound of his own heartbeat was irritating as hell, and he had a really hard time getting accustomed to his dull, _human_ senses again. Also, Judgy and The Teacher had both looked as if they would love nothing more than to pack him onto a table and start to dissect him. Before today, he had no idea that Alaric could feature such a look that was able to freak him out that much.

And so, right after Elena left, he gave the freaks down there a half-hearted excuse and barricaded (hid) himself in his room.

He was standing in front of his mirror now, trying to find any obvious changes. So far, the only thing worth noticing was a little more colour to his cheeks than usual. But other than that, he really looked just like he always did. But as he stood there, looking at himself he thought about the irony of all of this. Just a few weeks ago, he had told poor Jessica that he missed being human. It had been the first time he had said that out loud since he turned all those years ago – most of the time he wouldn't even confess it to himself. And now, just like that, he really _was_ human again. He knew perfectly well that it wouldn't last, but still.

If he could just lie down and close his eyes now, he wouldn't hear the heartbeats from downstairs, luring him in, making him hungry; hungry for the chase, hungry for blood and violence. The anger and disappointment (at his father, his brother... Katherine and the whole damn world) had faded nearly into nothing. Both of these feelings had been in the forefront of his mind as he had died, so long ago, so they had been his constant companions. Now though they had been replaced – by guilt and love. Guilt, for all the lives he had taken over the past 140 and something years and love... love for his brother, whom he had hated for so long. And love for Elena, of course. Always Elena.

There were other things too... like, when he thought about Liz Forbes or Alaric, the first word his brain would find was '_friend'_. Or the strange responsibility he felt for Carolineand (oddly enough) Jeremy.

But all of this - the headache caused by the sound of his own blood pumping through his veins, the guilt, love and _responsibility_ - couldn't quite bring him to regret that this happened.

So for the next ten days (well, _approximately_ ten days) he would just... live. Literally. Snatching his car keys from the bedside table, he tried to make as little sound as possible as he went out of his room, and down the stairs. In the parlour, the others were still discussing what could be done... even though neither Elena nor he was there.

Shaking his head, he went out the front door, into his car, and drove away.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

He'd been driving for about an hour until he started to get bored with it. He hadn't had any destination in mind to begin with – he'd just been driving around to kill some time. Usually he would sit at the bar in the Grill, but even the thought of drinking himself into a stupor right now was held no appeal. Also... he couldn't quite remember the last time he really had had a hangover, but he could remember that the feeling hadn't been pleasant at all. But he had given the research-party in his house enough time to grow tired of books and discussions, so he deemed it safe to drive back home.

Arriving back at the Boarding House, he instantly saw that he had been right – the cars that had been parked in the driveway were gone. He entered the house slowly, taking everything in in a new light.

Without his keen vampire-senses the house looked infinitely more beautiful. Losing the ability to take in every single detail at once, also allowed him to oversee the flaws. He hadn't really had any time to appreciate this earlier. He had been way too distracted by other things. But now the house was quiet, and memories from his life (the one _before_ Katherine... the one in which he had been human) came rushing back. True, this house wasn't the one in which he had grown up in, but it was close enough. Armchairs, bookshelves, tables and carpets – most of the old-fashioned interior, really – came from his childhood home, and each held memories for him. Most of the time, he was able to forget that as children he and Stefan had played on the same carpets he now looked at , or that his father had loved to sit in _that_ armchair right across from the fireplace in the evenings. Right now, he saw it as clear as if it had happened just yesterday... Stefan, sitting at his father's feet, playing with an intricately carved, wooden horse. His father had been looking down at his younger son, a gentle smile on his face, while sipping from the crystal tumbler in his hand. Damon had been sitting on the floor, too – leaning against the couch, reading a book. He had glanced up every now and then, watching his brother play, stunned because of the look on his father's face. He knew – even back then, just about ten years of age – that the man would never, in his life, look at _him_ like this. The moment Stefan had been borne, he had been jealous of him – of the way he was treated so much better than he, himself. But that hadn't lasted very long, because soon after that he had loved his brother, too.

Also, he still had the love of his mother. She would sit with him for hours, the only sound in the room being the rustling of pages as they both read a book. She had died too soon though. Stefan hadn't been five yet as she caught a fever... one night, she had been so exhausted because of it, that she had fallen asleep in the middle of telling them a story. She hadn't woken up again.

Thinking about his mother now, his feet automatically had carried him into a usually unused room. He had slight difficulties even opening the door, the hinges groaning and screeching because of years (probably closer to decades... right now he nearly wished his strength back) of disuse. He managed to open it though, and the first thing he did was to sneeze because of the dust. But then he opened the curtains, and pulled the white sheets off of the things. There was a flowery couch right under the big windows, and two armchairs left and right from it. A delicate coffee table stood in front of them, too. A bookshelf was nearly bursting with all the books and folders stuffed in there – books and folders full of sheet music. There was a harp, standing a little to the side; his mother had been the only one who could play it, and she never had been able to talk Stefan or Damon into learning how to. There was a stand with an expensive, antique looking violin on it (he knew for a fact that the look rang true), and on a table lay a row of flutes and recorders. But all that he ignored, his eyes fixed on the grand piano in the middle of the room. He walked around it once; as if afraid it would explode in his face if he so much as looked at it.

But of course it didn't, and as he finished his round he sat down onto the bench in front of it, carefully opening the lid over the ivory keys. He let his fingers wander over them in barely even a caress, and closed his eyes. This was the other thing he and his mother had had in common – they _loved_ music. They would either sit together and read, in total silence or they would sit in the music room. She would sing, or play the harp, and he would accompany her on the piano – she herself had taught him how to play.

He was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't even realize that the caress and gliding of his fingers had changed, and he had begun to play for real. Just random notes at first, trying to remember how to hold his hands, which key to press down with which finger. But soon the memory came rushing back, and a few, careful sounds turned into a melody. Sad and melancholy it was, but it brought a smile to his face, and dozens of hidden, cherished memories replayed themselves behind his closed eyes.

His hands were moving with practiced ease over the keys now, even though he hadn't even touched an instrument in such a long, long time. He had stopped trying to create something beautiful after he came back from war. Other than the fact that his mother had been dead for years, and nobody but she had ever listened to him, he just couldn't see the reason anymore. In a world where people hated and killed each other just because of the colour of one's skin, or political preferences... well, there was just no place for beauty. And then along came Katherine and destroyed the friendship between him and his brother, and even he forgot that there was something else in him besides all the hate and anger and disappointment.

But all that had been a long time ago. Other wars had been fought (not by him... the one time had been _entirely_ enough) and peace had been found again. And even though there was always madness and cruelty, he also had seen compassion and love. With his feelings shut off (or at least ignored... he hadn't been able to control that switch for quite some time now) he had ignored all these things, but now... now it actually helped.

His eyes still closed, lost in memories and his music, he forgot about everything else around him, so he didn't even notice as Stefan walked into the room and sat down on the couch.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

He was in his room, leafing through a book detailing the moon phases as he heard strange, tinkering sounds.

Frowning, he laid the book down and followed them to the old music room. Nobody had been in there in... forever, practically. When he had arrived at the Boarding House over a year ago, the door had actually been hidden behind an old bookshelf. He got rid of the thing nearly right away; somehow it had been disturbing to have the door out of sight, even if nobody was ever entering the room. It was halfway open now, though, so he turned sideways – so not to have to open it any further and disturb whoever was in there – and went inside. Just as he turned to look in the direction of the old piano, the tinkering turned into a melody, and his jaw nearly dropped all the way down to the floor. He shook his head and pinched himself, but the picture remained the same. His brother was sitting on the bench, fingers moving fluently over the keys, and his feet using the pedals expertly, as if he never had stopped playing, as if he had been in here just yesterday. His body swayed a little to the melody, and there was a gentle smile painted onto his face.

Stefan couldn't - not for his life – remember when the last time was that he had seen his brother like this; so... human it nearly took his breath away. Of course he had seen Damon earlier, basking in the sun, or grinning like a fool over a simple sandwich. But this, right there, was something on another level entirely. He could see his _brother_ again. Not the man, bitter from war and angry because he had to share the woman he loved.

Without his mind telling them to, his feet moved him to the couch and he sat down, feeling too heavy to stay standing all of a sudden.

This man, this was the brother he had loved and had been looking up to. It seemed like the vampire he had known for the past 146 years had been an imposter. Suddenly he felt incredibly bad for his earlier thoughts... true, he wanted Elena to be human and fragile like always but... he wanted his _brother_, too. His _real_ brother, just like he saw him right now – wearing his heart on his sleeve, and not afraid to seem vulnerable or compassionate. Right now, he had no idea what he wanted more: his nice, human girlfriend or a happy ending for his brother. He knew it was selfish to think about what _he_ would want most and not what the people in question would want but his thoughts wouldn't hurt anyone, if he would just keep them to himself.

So he sat there as quiet as possible so he wouldn't make Damon stop. The melody really _was_ hauntingly beautiful, and it had been entirely too long since he had heard him play last. Before everything had gone downhill, he would sit in the parlour, listening to Damon for hours. His father would sit in his armchair, eyes closed, and a melancholy expression on his face – thinking about his dead wife, for sure. As Damon had returned from war though, he hadn't been to the music room even once; sometimes he had caught his father staring at the door longingly, but he never had said a word. Thinking about the past, he lost himself in his thoughts, and his regrets. Because, at the end of the day, he knew it was his fault alone that he had 'lost' Damon to begin with. He had known, back in 1864 that his brother was in love with Katherine. And still he had wanted her for himself, and took her (or took what she was willing to give – same difference when it came down to it). Then, Damon told him to _not_ talk to their father, because it would just end badly. He did the exact opposite, and got all the vampires captured, and his brother and himself killed. And _then_ Damon refused to finish the transition, and he forced him to do it anyway. He had started to make Damon hate him as he took the only thing he had ever confessed to want and love, and he had sealed the deal as he made him kill his first victim.

And now he got a look at what had been lost back then, and he knew that if it was possible at all... he probably would step back, and not say a word if Elena wanted to stay a vampire (he cringed at the thought, knowing that he would lose her then)... if Damon wanted to stay human; because no matter what _he_ wanted, or what he was comfortable with, his brother deserved another chance, and Elena deserved to make her own decisions in life.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

He hadn't noticed Stefan right away, but after a while he came back to the present day – back to reality – and opened his eyes. He saw Stefan's reflection in the glass door of the bookcase across from him, but he couldn't be bothered to do anything about it. Also, Stefan didn't look as though he was about to mock him, or anything along those lines, so he just kept on playing. He knew that, sooner rather than later, there would be a talk (most likely more like a fight) about... everything going on, but right now, he just enjoyed this... the calm before the storm, way too much to interrupt it.

And there _would_ be a storm; he could already feel it gathering – hear the electricity crackling in the air, and feel the rumble of the thunder deep in his bones.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

So, done! Like I already said in the last chapter, this was boring, but I had to "ease" Elena and Damon into their change, and now that that's done with, I can go over to more interesting stuff. Now I want to know what YOU guys would like to read next. I mean, I already have a lose plot and all that, but right now I'm still open for suggestions, because with this story the plot is not TOO fixated yet. I know how this story is going to end, and I know EXACTLY what will happen in the last two chapters. BUT, the way there is still a little bit in the open, so just... fire away, and I'll see what I can do (and what will fit with my ending!). Just click on the little button below, and tell me. Reviews are love, people.

So long,

Zora


	6. Of hunger and Siren songs

I am SO sorry for the long time you guys had to wait for this chapter. BUT, I have a semi-good excuse. I broke my darn arm, and now I takes me WAY too long to get anything written. Damn thing hurts when I type over five minutes *grumble*.

ANYway, here's my new chapter, and I hope you like it. Also: a HUGE thanks to my beta AVECIA, because without her I would be totally lost; and to all my readers and reviewers (OMG, over a hundred reviews already, and this is only my 6th chapter! Keep it up, PLEASE, because you make me over the top happy!).

Disclaimer: I don't own anything 'bout TVD, I just mess with them because it's so much fun!

On with it!

xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxo

It had been two days since the _incident_ at the Boarding House, and slowly but surely, Elena started to get accustomed to being a vampire. She had spent the last day in the forest outside of Mystic Falls – a little hunting, a little running, and a whole lot of trying out her new senses, strength and speed. Caroline had been there with her, but only for about an hour, for the actual hunting part.

After that, she had been on her own, and she had reveled in it. It had been an incredible day; she had felt as if all her worries were just suddenly gone… no heartbeat meant there was no way that she could be used as a sacrifice. Also, she was _not_ a fragile little human now, and could take care of herself.

Of course she knew that she was just in denial… the ones out to take her, were so much older than her that, vampire or not, she would have no chance of winning a fight. Also… yeah sure, she would be useless as a sacrifice, but she knew that _now_ her family and friends were in danger of becoming targets for revenge.

But just for the time being, she was perfectly happy with drowning in her denial, as if it really was a river in Egypt. Soon enough she would be human again – with a big, neon target on her back- and would have to go back to finding a plan to make sure her all her loved ones were safe, and she would survive. Well… the first part was kind of mandatory for her, the last… not so much. As long as there would be no one she cared about following her, she was content with landing in an early grave.

Now though she was preparing herself to go back to the Boarding House, so she pushed those thoughts into the darkest corner in her mind. She knew that she had to have a talk with Damon about… well, _everything_. Also, she was kind of curious about how he was doing, being human again.

So after a last glance into the mirror, she went downstairs, grabbed her car keys and was on her way.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

While Elena had spent yesterday running around in the woods (Caroline couldn't stop gossiping if her life…unlife?... depended on it, so there wasn't even the need to _ask_ anyone what Elena was up to) he was out in the town.

He had made a quick visit to Liz – dropping off more of the dried vervain sprigs, making a show of touching them (he knew that she sometimes suspected something, so that might help to disperse any doubts she might have in him– and then went grocery shopping. Sure, he had done so loads of times in the last century. Since Elena spent nearly more time at the Boarding House than her own home, he made sure that she would always find something edible there. Also, he loved human food – the kind _for_ them, not _from_ them – so he always had something at home.

But this time around, he actually _needed_ it, so now the pantry, fridge and kitchen cabinets were full to the brim. The rest of the day had been incredibly slow and relaxing. He ate something, read, and went back to the music room for an hour or two. Stefan had been there, again. But like on the first day, he had chosen to ignore his brother in favor of his own sanity. He just knew that any conversation they would start in there would be about their human life, back before Katherine. And like hell was he going to delve into that topic so soon.

It was hard enough to push the guilt he was feeling constantly right now to the back of his mind. It would be impossible to do so if he started to dissect what had become of the good relationship he and Stefan had once had.

But as he'd always been good at ignoring Stefan if he was so inclined, it had been not much of a problem.

He was in the kitchen, fixing himself dinner, as he heard the bang of the front door closing, and soon after the tapping of shoes behind him.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Elena entering the room. She looked… somehow just like always, and totally different at the same time. There was a slight smile teasing at the edge of her mouth, and her eyes held a sparkle he hadn't seen in too long. Her whole posture was relaxed, and anyone who would care to look, would see that she was perfectly comfortable in her own body right now – something that she hadn't been in quite some time. He knew, because he felt like he was _always_ watching her. But right now, her shoulders weren't hunched, she wasn't wearing a button up over her top to hide as much skin as was bearable with the hot weather outside... there were other things too, but in the end it didn't really matter. The important thing was, that she was doing good.

"Well well Miss Gilbert. I have to say, death becomes you."

He wasn't sure if she was open to these kind of jokes, but if anything, she should know his admittedly black kind of humor by now. And sure enough, instead of sighing in annoyance, or rolling her eyes, she just cracked a smile and made her way over to him. Standing on her tiptoes, she leant over his shoulder to take a look at the stove.

"Well, life doesn't look all that bad on you, either. What are you making, it smells really good."

He lifted an eyebrow at her behavior then. Sure, he was glad that she wasn't a mess because of everything but… she was leaning over him, touching him, making _compliments_… there had to be a catch _some_where. But instead of asking her outright, he rather steered clear of that, sure that she would come to it, sooner or later.

"Thanks, I think. And… nothing much. Just a Risotto."

Seemingly satisfied with his answer, she stepped away from him and sat down on the kitchen counter.

"If you're looking for Stefan, he's not here right now. Guess he got tired of being in awe of my heartbeat, or something."

He shot her a crooked grin which she gave right back.

"Actually, I'm not here to see Stefan. I wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

She didn't say anything for a moment, obviously trying to find the right words for what she wanted to say – he knew that this, right there, was the catch he had been thinking about only moments before.

"Well… okay, I can't really think of an easy way to approach this, so I guess I'll just… jump right in. Do you, by any chance, have some of my memories?"

His mouth already open to deliver a flippant come-back to whatever she had to say, he stopped short in the last second, as his brain registered what _exactly_ she had just said. Now he was officially confused (not that he would say it like this, _ever_).

"Come again?"

Sighing, she hopped down from her perch on the counter, and then leaned back onto it, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Yesterday and the day before I had… glimpses of your past, I think. Just random scenes, out of nowhere. It felt like a real memory of mine – it was as if I saw everything from my point of view, only I knew that these things _never_ happened to me."

That was…interesting (a complete disaster). He cleared his throat and turned back to the stove, turning the heat off because he knew that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on cooking now, anyway.

"What… what kind of memories? If they even _are_ memories, and not just some strange… side effect of this."

Elena had been contemplating for hours if she should tell him what she had seen, exactly. In the end, she decided that they were _his_ memories, and he had a right to know.

"The night you died. Just… the moment the bullet connected, and you blacked out. And I saw how you killed a woman, sometime in the twenties. Also… it wasn't just the memories, Damon. I wasn't only seeing what happened, I was… _feeling_ it. Not so much with the first… it was over way too fast but… I felt how you enjoyed the fresh blood, how… good it was to have the control over the mind of this woman and… the lack of remorse at what you had done."

It was silent now, neither of them speaking, the only sound in the room being their breathing. He knew he should turn around and face her, try to do something, _anything_ to somehow make her _not_ hate him for what she had seen. That memory must have reminded her of the monster he was _very_ capable of being, and he was afraid that now she would finally hate him for good. Being reminded of that time also did next to _nothing_ to make him feel less guilty.

"Elena I'm…"

He wanted to apologize, explain… anything, but she seemed to like the habit of interrupting him she had taken up recently.

"Don't, Damon. Whatever you wanted to say just… don't. There's no need for apologies, because what's done is done. It's the past, and neither you, nor I can change it. Also… I already knew that you hadn't led the life of a saint these past decades. And I don't need you to explain anything either, really. I get that you were different then… that you have changed since you came back to Mystic Falls. Damon, I didn't tell you to make you feel… guilty or something. All I wanted was to let you know and ask if you have some of my memories, and… that's all."

He was dumbstruck for a moment; after what she just told him, he was expecting her to lash out, to call him names, or cut him out of her life again. This silent acceptance of what he was (had been, really. It had been a long time since he had been this kind of monster) freaked him out, just a little bit. He should just let it rest and count his blessings, but he never did what he _should_, especially not in regards of Elena.

"How come you didn't storm here, all righteous anger and disgust, shouting 'monster'? I mean, you won't hear me complaining, not by a long shot but… why?"

She looked to the floor for just a moment, but then she squared her shoulders, moved over to him and cradled his face in both of her hands, turning his head so she could look into his eyes.

"I don't know the first thing about what you were like back then. What I _do_ know is, that you're not that kind of person _now_. I won't go and judge you for things you did when not even my parents had been born yet. Also… feeling what you felt, gave me a thrill that scared me, just a little bit. The moment the memory had ended, I was suddenly so incredibly _hungry_. And not just for blood but… I wanted to hurt something – some_one_; I wanted to hunt and chase, smell fear and hear the erratic pumping of a heart."

She let go of his face and brought a little distance between them. Suddenly she wasn't looking so comfortable anymore. But not because she felt disgusted with herself, he realized after a moment. She was waiting for him to do what she wouldn't do to him – to judge her.

Shaking his head, he made quick work of the gap she had created between them, and hugged her, pressing a soft kiss on the crown of her head. He knew that normally she wouldn't allow something like this, but right now, everything that was normal (normal for Mystic Falls, which was something entirely different from every other meaning of the word) was, wasn't working. So for a few minutes they stood just like that, just taking comfort in each other.

"It's normal, Elena. You're bound to want something like that… you have a predator inside of you, and the call of blood and violence can be a siren's songs, sometimes. The important thing is, that you didn't act on the urge. That's something that most aren't able to do."

And it was true, too… Stefan or he, himself, weren't even remotely close to controlling themselves in the first few years of their undead existence.

They were so wrapped up in each other – in their thoughts and feelings – that they didn't even notice the eyes glued on their forms.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

One of these days, he would start to feel like a creep, or a stalker. For some reason, he had the worst timing in the world, always walking in on highly inappropriate moments.

Also… seeing his girlfriend and brother standing in the kitchen, wrapped up so tight in the other's arms that not even a sheet of paper would fit in between them felt… strange. He knew he should be feeling jealous, or angry, but instead… instead he felt his heart breaking just a little bit, and mending itself in the next instant. He had known that Elena wouldn't belong to him forever; had known that he would never be able to keep her. And for longer than he cared to admit to even himself, he had known that as soon as the field was free, his brother would step up. Sure, he had tried everything to prevent that happening because… well, he _loved_ her. But in the last two days he felt something return that he had thought lost. The love he once had felt for his brother had started to anchor itself back into him, and he knew right then that his relationship with Elena would be over sooner rather than later.

So right now there was only this strange feeling inside of him… the feeling of letting go and starting anew. And finally, after over a century and a half of existing, he was ready to step aside and let Damon have something he wanted for himself, too.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Done for today^^. Now… I kind of wanted to make Stefan in this huge douche, but as always, the characters did what THEY wanted, and not what I told them to do so now… he's kind of nice, I guess. Oh well, my bad. Now… please tell me what you think about this chapter – just click on the little button below and leave me a few words! Reviews are love, people!

So long,

Zora.


	7. Of the stubborn and blind

Back again^^. I hope the wait wasn't TOO long… well, anyway: I finally decided on a plotline – other than the fact that I changed Damon and Elena around a bit, I now actually know the story between this point, and the last scene I have in my head. And a good thing, too!

Now: Thank you, my dear AVECIA, for your wonderful (as always) help! You're the BEST beta I can hope for! And also, thanks to my lovely readers and reviewers… you all make me all happy and ridiculous! Can't get enough of those awesome reviews of yours!

Disclaimer: I own nothing (well, maybe the plotline… but certainly no characters, locations… or anything that's been on TVD show (or the books)), I just play with all of them for fun!

On with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Elena found a certain irony in the fact that, for her, time seemed to have sped up. Because if the attempt to return Damon and her to normal was to fail, time would lose its importance… she would literally have _forever_ at her disposal.

But as it was, time was acting like a bitch, because even though a glance at her watch told her that she and Damon had held on to each other for nearly half an hour, it felt like not even a few minutes had gone by. She let go of him anyway, because... well, because of _many_ things, really. First, there was the fact that she felt _way_ too good, clinging to him like that; also, if anyone were to walk in on them right now, they could easily come to the wrong conclusion. Or, even worse... come to the wrong conclusion only to realize that it was actually the _right_ one. Ever since she woke up as a vampire, she was completely off balance. Not literally of course – with her improved senses, she could probably do back flips on a high wire right now. But her _feelings_ were all over the place. Some things felt far away and dulled – her fear of what might happen to her, the grief over the death of her parents, the guilt of pulling all of her friends in this supernatural chaos that was her life.

But on the other hand, there were things that were so heightened; she had no idea how to deal with them. There was her love for Stefan that, with every passing hour, felt more and more like what she felt for her brother. The disappointment in Bonnie… she had been her best friend since they were only five years old, and still she denied her the courtesy to trust her judgment (mostly considering Damon). Then there was the ache inside her heart every time she thought about Caroline… sweet, naïve, obsessive, neurotic Caroline. Caroline, whose dream had been to find some glamorous job, have a loving husband and a family – the perfect white-picket-fence life. Now, she would forever be stuck in her 17 year old body, never growing older, never able to have children of her own, always destined to leave after a few years. And lastly… there was Damon. As if it wasn't enough that she had problems discerning the feelings she had for him normally… now she even had some of his memories, and she knew _exactly_ how he felt… it was all more of a rollercoaster than she had ever thought possible.

Standing in front of him now, still feeling his embrace everywhere on her being, she was more confused than ever.

Sighing, she drew her fingers through her hair and shook her head.

Damon just stood there, watching, waiting for her to get her act back together. He was good like that… seeing when she needed a little time and space, or when she just had to be pushed a little bit. Finally she had a reign on her thoughts and feelings again, and cast a rueful smile in his direction.

"I'm sorry about that I'm just a little…" … lost for words, or so it seemed. She didn't even know how to pack into words what she desperately wanted him to know – because she needed him to understand.

"You're lost, is what you are. You're practically a new vampire – your emotions and thoughts are bound to be a little overwhelming right now. And I guess that you having memories of what I used to be like… well, that can't really help, right?"

Like always, he seemed to understand perfectly where she came from. It had always been like this. With Stefan, she always felt the need to explain everything; to justify her actions and words, to try to be as perfect as possible. With Damon on the other hand…. She never had had a problem with letting him see the '_dark'_ side of her. Anger, sadness, even hate. Or that one time in Atlanta… when she had allowed herself to let loose for a little while – to be fun-Elena again.

Stefan might have picked up and put the pieces that was her world back together, but Damon had been the one to seal up the cracks, and make the picture whole and blemish-free again.

"Yes, I'm… confused, I guess. I have all these… mixed feelings, and I don't really know what to do about them. It was hard to ignore them before, but now… it nearly impossible. And I'm afraid that I might just snap and… I don't know, do something stupid. Like kill someone."

The last sentence was said with a clear disgust there in her voice – and even if it wasn't, Damon knew her well enough to be ninety percent sure that she wouldn't do it (the last ten percent… well, she kind of _had_ a little temper if you pissed her off just enough. Hence this whole… species changing disaster).

"Nah. Don't think you have it in you. The killing part, I mean. I'm quite positive that you are very capable of doing stupid things though… you _did_ try to hand yourself over to Klaus, after all."

And just like that, the tension in the room was broken again. Elena rolled her eyes, made an exasperated sound and hit his shoulder (careful not to put too much strength behind it… he _could_ end up with a broken shoulder otherwise. God, this really was fucked up.).

"Thanks a bunch… so glad to know that you have me aaaaall figured out. Now, I have to run. Caroline said something about girl-time, neglecting our friendship, and loads of unhealthy food. She _also_ invoked the pact of the sisterhood… and nobody can get out of _anything_ when that happens."

Damon blinked a few times and cocked his head to the side. Nope, it still made no sense…

"The pact of the sisterhood? Do I even _want_ to know what you're talking about?"

Elena made an effort to look like she was thinking about it before she answered.

"Uhm… no, I really don't think so. It involves oaths and promises and… well. Just… it's a girls thing that goes way beyond understanding even the supernatural, I guess. Never mind. I'll come by tomorrow again, if that's okay?"

"Fine with me. I make sure to tell Stefan so he's at home then."

For a moment she was really tempted to tell him to not bother. But then she remembered (how the hell had she even forgotten in the first place?) that Stefan was her boyfriend, and that _he_ should be the reason she came here.

"Right, Stefan. You tell him that, yes. Well, bye then."

And with that, she sped out of the Boarding House, not even daring to look back once.

If she would have though, she would have seen that Stefan was leaning on the wall just outside of the kitchen; would have seen the longing glance that Damon threw her way, not even trying to hide it.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Stefan shook his head… he knew that both his brother and Elena where stubborn as hell but… this was just ridiculous. Sure, if he had any say about it, he would want Damon to _not_ love her… and vice versa. But with the way things were, all he could do was to accept the truth as it was – the truth that those two were probably perfect for each other. Elena could keep Damon attached to his human side, could get him back onto the ground if he got in over himself again. And Damon had always been able to wake something in Elena… something primal – beautiful and frightening at the same time. She had so much fire in her. Enough to burn anyone who would dare to get too close. But he had a feeling that Damon would just laugh, embrace her, and tell her to burn even brighter.

So, if even _he_ could see it, why in the hell didn't _they_? He knew perfectly well that at least Damon was aware of his feelings for Elena – ignoring the fact that she feels just the same thing, but still. Only, for some reason, he had decided to act decent – for once in his undead life – and step back. It seemed that his brother had the same bad timing that he himself had. Figures… the _one_ thing they really had in common (other than the fact that they seemed destined to always fall for the same girl, of course) was bad timing.

And Elena… well, at least she wasn't too stubborn to just act on her feelings. No, _she_ was just ignoring them. He had to do something about that… if those two couldn't get their act together on their own, someone would need to help them along. And quite obviously, that someone was going to be him and… and he had just planned on playing matchmaker for his girlfriend and his brother. Great, just… shaking his head again, he headed up to his room to put together a plan of action. If he wanted to act like a madman, the least he could do was doing it with coordination.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Left alone again, Damon was at a loss at what to do. But then he remembered his half-done lunch and went to turn the heat on the stove back on. He was just going through the motions – adding sliced vegetable and spices on autopilot. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed something.

First they had been talking about those memories she had of him, then about _feelings_, of all things. And still he felt as if he had missed the topic entirely. Clearly she had been talking about Stefan… that she loved him, and couldn't decide on whether she wanted to turn – and share forever together with his brother – or stay human. Still deep in thoughts, he finished cooking, put everything on a plate, and started to eat. Normally, he would have acted like a fool and cherished every single bite, just like he had the last two days. But right now, all he could to was to dissect his conversation with Elena, trying to find out what he had missed there.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Tell me again, why exactly are you dragging _me_ to go shopping for junk food with you?"

Elena had to giggle as she saw the way he looked at the contents of her shopping cart. Popcorn, Chips, Pretzel Stick, loads of hard candy, ice-cream… he shook himself, just _thinking_ about eating all that stuff.

"There will be three of you, right? You, Miss Forbes and your little witch friend. You will never be able to eat all that. And this mix of sweet and salty is… it's nauseating!"

This time she wasn't just giggling, but full out laughing.

"Oh, believe me; we're going to eat all that. And after we're done, we're probably going to order Pizza or Chinese. Whatever we're in the mood for."

He just looked at her as if she suddenly had grown another set of arms and legs, clearly doubting her words.

"Oh, come on! All that is just… comfort food! We're going to paint each other's nails, do our hair and gossip till our tongues are all fuzzy. Then we're going to watch some romantic comedy. And while we do all that, we eat. We're not even going to notice that our pile is dwindling until it's gone. Hence, the need for us to call delivery service. It's girl's night, Elijah. It's the one time we are allowed to eat and eat and eat, without thinking about the weight we're going to gain!"

Still shaking his head, he simply gave up. There was no reasoning with this girl when she was acting like this. And actually… it wasn't like she was going out to try to hand herself over to Klaus again. Better she stuffed herself full of this… garbage, than the alternative.

"If you want to be specific about it… you can't even gain any weight at the moment. You won't change one bit until you're… you again."

Her grin broadened at that (he had no idea that would be even possible before he saw it happening in front of his own eyes) and she turned around on her heels to get even more ice-cream. He never understood the female obsessiveness with their figures.

There were days on which he really wondered what he was doing here. That girl just… shook everything up. He hated changes in his life, and still… since he met her, he found himself constantly bending backwards to please her.

He wished he could blame the Petrova blood on it – it would make it far easier for him to stay detached. But in reality… in reality it wasn't the blood alone, it was the fact that after seven doppelgangers before her, she was the first one that reminded him of the Original Petrova.

The same fire and passion; a heart so big the entire world might as well find a place in it, always willing to find the good in a person. She had been just like that, the first one. She, too, always held her head high, never afraid of consequences, if the people she cared about where safe in the end. And she had sacrificed so, so much for it. Everything she ever had dreamed for herself, gone like water through her fingers. But she had done so gladly, because it had helped the greater good. In the end, she had lost her life because of it, still with a smile on her face. And all that, because this man had wanted her for himself before he ever even met her. Just because he had heard of her beauty.

And history was just about to repeat itself, all over again. Only this time, there were even more players in the game, and they had the resources of vampires, werewolves and witches to fight, instead of bow and arrow and a sword. And just like last time, it was all because of one woman.

Elena, who took the place of Alyona… his beautiful Alyona. His wife.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now I'm done for today, and ask: do you know where I'm going with this plot? I left a TINY little hint, somewhere in there. Let's see if you guys can figure it out! If not, it's not bad either… I'm going to make everything perfectly clear soon enough anyway! Now just… click on the button below and PLEASE let me know what you think! Reviews are love people, and I write sooooo much better with love!

So long,

Zora


	8. Normality is overrated

Right so... before I say anything else, pleas we aware of the fact that this chapter had been an utter bitch. I don't know why, exactly, but it just... kept doing strange things, and refused to do what I told it. NOT NICE. Other than that... this time, I have TWO betas to thank – of course there is, as always, my lovely AVECIA... she knows my characters and my style so well by now, that everything she does, is... well. It sounds like it's straight out of my mind, even though she had been the one suggesting it. And then, there is myTme – she's been a friend of mine for quite some time now, and read over this chapter as well. Thank you my dear^^. Also, a huge thanks to all you readers and reviewers: I love you people!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything 'bout TVD. I just mess with them because it's soooo much fun!

Now, on with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Stefan felt slightly bad for doing what he was doing... Elena's first girls**'** night since Caroline had been kidnapped by the werewolves, and here he was, hiding in the tree outside of her window, eavesdropping. But after wracking his mind for a way to be… sneaky about getting her and Damon together, he found that he had no idea, whatsoever, how to go about it. The easiest way probably would be to just throw them in a cell in the basement and lock them in there. Leave them with water, food and blood, and tell them to just get over themselves, fuck like bunnies, and say 'thank you Stefan' afterwards. But knowing both Damon and Elena like he did… yeah, fat chance of _that_ working out. Those two were chin-deep in denial, and they seemed to be highly pleased about it too. Just his luck they were both so fucking stubborn they could put a mule to total shame.

So, he was hiding in a tree outside of her window, feeling more and more like the stalker/creep he was slowly turning into these days and hoping for at least a little bit of information, insight, anything to help him on his mission.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

She felt like she was walking on eggshells. Sure, it was nice spending time with her best friends, but it felt just a little bit like a bad movie. She was the witch, her best friends both dead, well technically dead- they were vampires. Sure, Elena wouldn't be for much longer, but Bonnie had a feeling that after Elena turned back, she wouldn't actually _stay_ human. Not for too long, at least. And the best thing about it? Bonnie wasn't even sure for which Salvatore brother her best friend would chose an eternally dammed life for.

That being said, Bonnie threw all these thoughts into a dark corner of her mind, gave herself a mental slap over the head for wasting precious gossiping time on fruitless thoughts, grabbed a handful of popcorn, and tried to decide the best color for her toenails.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Caroline was having one of the best nights of her undead life. It had been nice, when Stefan brought Bonnie and Elena over, to help her cope with what had happened. She wasn't still feeling paranoid, like she would dissolve into sobs at any moment. Also...she wasn't the only one mixing gin with blood, instead tonic water. (Un)Life was good right now. Their hair was pulled up into messy buns, they were wearing baggy, comfortable clothes; surrounded by junk food, beautifying products and piles of tear jerking, romantic movies, they were prepared to leave everything even remotely related to Klaus, curses or Doppelgangers out in the proverbial rain for the night.

"Hey, does it make sense to pretend everything is normal and still be glad I'm not the only undead person in the room at the same time?"

Both Bonnie and Elena looked at her strangely for a moment, before shaking their heads and grinning.

"As much as bitching about the weight we gained in the last few months, while stuffing our faces with ice-cream. So... yeah, it makes perfect sense."

Thinking about Bonnie's answer for a moment, she came to the conclusion that, yeah – everything was perfectly normal.

She should have known that this would bite her in the ass.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Bonnie had decided on the deep green nail polish, and just as Elena was shaking the little bottle, her eyes fixated on it, thinking about how the color resembled that of leaves in the spring… the world around her disappeared in an explosion of color and sound.

She was dizzy as hell as she opened her eyes (when had she closed them in the first place?) a few moments later. But that was the least of her problems, really. Slightly more confusing was the fact she wasn't in her room anymore. Or in Mystic Falls, because as she passed a window she could she hills; a mixture of green grass and rough looking bushes; and, what looked like, the ruins of ancient cities she had seen in history books. Only, these were not ruins. There were people in the streets; bargaining with vendors in a market, talking to friends or family. There were carts, pulled by oxen. And the people wore either pristine white Togas, or brown, sack-like things. It was easy to see who came from money and who lived a hard-working life.

She tried to look down at herself, but for some reason her body wouldn't do what she told it to. At first, she thought it was another of Damon's memories, then she remembered he was born _after _1800 and what she had seen of this outside world seemed well before that time. It had looked like a scene directly out of _Troy_. She wondered if she would run into Brad Pitt any moment; but as she walked around a corner, she realized that she should have known it wouldn't be _that_ easy. For there, at the end of the hallway, was not Brad Pitt but Elijah.

Only, he didn't look like the Elijah she knew. This one had hair down to his shoulders, slightly wavy , and wore what looked like a leather armour, and a skirt (or something closely resembling one anyway but seeing as she was trapped with the ancient Greeks, he probably was wearing what passed for the latest fashion.).

And then he saw her and smiled. A blinding, soul reaching, true smile just for her-or for the woman she was stuck in right now.

"There you are my love! I was searching everywhere for you! The delegate, whom I told you about, has arrived. And your presence, my _Queen_, is urgently needed!"

She could hear the teasing in his voice, and a love that sent shivers down her spine.

"Of course – whatever my King needs!"

It was her voice alright – only, it wasn't what she had wanted to say, nor was the teasing quality to it anything she would ever direct at him. Also... Queen? King? Good god, had Elijah been _married_? She desperately wanted an answer to her question but he just gave her a smouldering look, before he clasped her hand.

"Well, my darling Alyona... if I had my way, we would turn around, and lock ourselves in our chambers for the next week. But alas, this man has the reputation of not being overly patient."

He sighed – she could see that he meant what he said. Smiling softly (she could feel the movement of her lips) she squeezed his hand to reassure him. They went on in silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one... at least not for Elijah and the woman. Elena though, felt as if she was intruding in a far too intimate moment; she felt like a voyeur, even though they just walked along a hallway. It was just... she had never seen this man so... relaxed, happy and so utterly _human_. He was in love, and he was fully aware of the fact that he was loved right back. After a few more corners, and seemingly endless hallways, they arrived in front of a huge double door, flanked by two guards. The woman – Alyona – let go of Elijah's hand to straighten the fabric of her clothes. As she looked down at herself to inspect everything, she saw that she was wearing a white toga. A golden cuff was around her upper right arm, and on her shoulders were golden clasps, holding the material together. There were no mirrors anywhere near, but she was willing to bet that, if she could look into one right now, she would recognise the reflection her own face in it.

But then the woman looked up again, and saw the worried expression on her husband's – she forgot instantly about her clothes and appearance and took his hand again, sending trust, warmth and love his way.

"Don't worry. It will all work out. Now come on – you are Menelaus. You are the King of Sparta. He is only a delegate of Troy... what is his name, anyway?"

"Ze'ev. It is quite the unusual name, but I have been told he comes from someplace far beyond the edges of our Kingdom..."

She could hear that he was still talking, but his words started to become unclear, and the next thing she knew, she was lying on the floor of her room, Bonnie, Caroline and Stefan standing over her with worried looks on their faces. She blinked a few times, before she sat up, only one thought in her mind.

"I knew it looked like in the movie!"

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

A few minutes later, they were sitting in the kitchen, hot cocoa and tea on the table, and no laughter or gossiping happening. Caroline had just finished telling her that she had been speaking in a weird language that nobody understood – on top of suddenly collapsing, and her eyes had rolled all the way back into her head – as the backdoor opened and Elijah stepped inside. A frown was firmly fixed on his face, and for once, he looked like he had no idea what was going on.

Elena had called him as soon as she was sure she was firmly anchored in the present day again – _demanded_ of him to come to her house ASAP. She wasn't usually one to be so... demanding; well, at least not since he got Stefan out of the tomb, and they had sealed their deal. Usually she talked to him with at least a modicum of respect, and listened to what he had to say. But this time, she told him to come, and come as fast as his feet could carry him. So he did, because her strange behaviour worried him.

As he stood there, she mentally compared Elijah, and the man she (or, rather _Alyona_) had called _Menelaus_. She was pretty sure she knew already what she had seen, but she wanted – needed – him to say it. Somehow, she felt betrayed. She knew he didn't owe her anything. They had a deal – she would try to keep herself safe, and be there when he needed her to lure Klaus. In exchange _he_ made sure that her family and friends were as safe as possible. But she couldn't shake the feeling that, over the past weeks, they had moved past being business partners of sort, and had become friends. And because of that, it hurt that he hadn't told gestured for him to take a free chair, and for once he did as told, without playing the superior card.

"Well... now that I am here... care to tell me why? Because I am pretty sure that you said _something_ along the lines that men are _not_ welcome to partake in these... _girls'_ nights."

Great, he was pissed off, but so was she so fair was only fair.

"That's true, but neither are ancestors or their husbands. If you want I can have Caroline draw you up a list of the rules," she all but hissed, "You know... you could have told me that you were _married_ to one of the Doppelgangers that came before me. At least then, I wouldn't have been quite this... shocked about the little... trip into the past I just had."

She had no intentions of beating around the bush, and she stuck to that – also, it was kind of funny to watch the expressions of the others. Bonnie and Stefan could have had more of a reaction to watching paint dry... they shared a kind of dumbfounded look, with big eyes. Caroline was more interesting – jaw nearly hitting the table... after she spit the mouthful of cocoa across it. The mix of spittle and cocoa was slowly dripping down Elijah's face, who had the bad luck of sitting across from her. But he made no move to show that he cared – or even realize that it happened. He just stared at her, a pained, regretful look in his eyes.

After a few, eerily quiet moments, he blinked, took a handkerchief (somehow, no one seemed surprised that he carried a _handkerchief_ around with him) out of the breast pocket of his vest, and wiped the sticky stuff off his face. He then carefully folded it, and put it back into the pocket, all the while avoiding eye contact with Elena in particular and everyone else in the room in general. Then he slowly, deliberately, caught her gaze with his own. Clearly, even though they were far from alone, his next words were for her.

"I wasn't married to a Doppelganger, Elena. I was married to the _Original_ Petrova. I was married to the woman that caused all this – and I don't mean the Doppelgangers, or the Sun and the Moon curse. I was married to the woman that caused Klaus to die, and turn him into the first vampire. Or... well, not the first _vampire_. But the ones before him were more animal – more demon – than anything else. I was married to the woman that, nowadays, is known as _Helen of Troy_. And you, my dear Elena, are the first one that doesn't just look like her but, essentially _is_ her. The same fire, the same, big heart. You move like her, you talk like her... I know you're not really _her_. Her soul can never find its way back into the mortal plain without outside help. But... out of all the Doppelgangers I've met over the centuries, you are the first one that I don't want to rip to pieces. All the others felt wrong – like they had stolen her face and her body, misusing it in the worst way possible. But you wear it with grace, and you're doing it justice. Maybe I should have told you about her before but... it was really not important. Not for you at least. I admit though, the reason you are still here with your family, instead of securely locked up somewhere only I know, is because you remind me of her in more ways than just your looks. But really... at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. Not for you, at least. My reasons for acting like I do are mine... but I apologize for the somewhat unwanted surprise you had because of it... I hadn't counted on some spell backfiring, giving you the ability to regress back through time... which we should really look into, by the way. I'm not sure it would be good for you if something like that should happen again."

Silence, again. For all the time she spent around Elijah, he wasn't usually one for long speeches. Even less, when those speeches included feelings, or needed him to explain himself.

Also... he might have said that it was not important... but he had just told them that the Original Petrova was somewhat at fault for the existence of vampires – meaning, that there was more to the whole Klaus thing than just the Sun and the Moon curse. And just like that, a feeling of dread and foreboding settled into the pit of her stomach, and she knew that it wasn't _just_ an overreaction.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

So... this is it. I think it's pretty clear where I'm going with the plot, now, isn't it? I hope it's not too disappointing, or too much of a long shot. We'll see how it'll work out in the end, I guess! Now, please tell me what you think of this chapter; just click on the little button below, and leave me a few words. Reviews are love, people!

So long,

Zora


	9. Burn to ashes

So... I just watched the new ep and... wow, that was INTENSE! BUT, I don't want to say anything about it, in case you haven't seen it yet xD.

So... I'm back with a new chapter, and this one was actually easier to write than the last two... might be because of the Delena scene at the end o.O.

As always, thanks to my incredible beta AVECIA, who is amazing, and the only reason I'm brave enough to post my stories^^. Also, I LOVE you lovely readers and reviewers... just KEEP on reviewing, I love you all for it!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything 'bout TVD, I just play with them for fun!

On with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Stefan had left quite some time ago to '_make sure everything was alright with the girls'._ The explanation was, of course, utter bullshit... in reality, his brother just needed an excuse to be a creep. Seriously, the girl was in the same room with a witch and a vampire, not to mention that she was a member of the undead faction herself right now. If there ever was a time that Stefan _wasn't_ needed, it was now. But it wasn't his place to tell Stefan that (fuck his humanity and the fact that it had brought his conscience back with it; he wouldn't usually be caught dead, well dead-er, thinking about what he should or should _not_ say). So now he was alone at the Boarding House, and bored half to death. And that on top of everything else, was not the best mix; at all. And then he had realized something he should have at least two days ago; he finally could get _really_ drunk again. And stay that way, for more than a few minutes at the time. So he took a few bottles of his favourite Bourbon with him to his room, and had a little party with himself.

Now though, he started to think that it might not have been his best idea. The room kept on spinning around him, and his thoughts were a jumbled mess; he had forgotten that being drunk was not only fun, but also quite... disturbing, sometimes. He kept mixing up past and present, Elena and Katherine, human life with vampire existence. Everything blurred together, and try as might, he couldn't pick it apart again. And all these fucking emotions that kept on coming just to hassle him... he had been without feeling for the better part of a hundred and forty-six _years_. True, those feelings started to show again in the last few months, but most of them had still been safely tucked away in a dark corner of his mind. Now though, everything was right there, like acid (or vervain), burning its way through his veins.

Another thing about drunkenness, though? You had a really short attention span, so he forgot about his thoughts nearly immediately, jumped to another screwed up topic and as a new song started to play, he threw his hands in the air, and danced along to it.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Elena was starting to realize that, yes, vampires could indeed get a headache. She had thought the first day had been bad, when everyone kept on talking over the other, throwing in their opinion about what had happened. But now, even though only Bonnie, Caroline, Stefan and Elijah were there, it was even worse. There was no easy sarcasm from Elijah's side... in truth, he looked like he wanted to rip a throat (or a heart) out or... throw a damn temper tantrum. Whatever the case, he clearly was on edge right now. Stefan looked even moodier than usual (and she really had to _stop_ thinking like this about him... it was as if Damon was sitting in her head, feeding her not-so-nice thoughts about his brother), Caroline kept on babbling how cool it was that Elena had visited a place that Brat Pitt only saw in a movie studio, and Bonnie was trying to find an explanation for why Elena had gotten a glimpse into the past. Sure, it might have something to do with the spell, or with her being the doppelganger or a mix of both... but somehow, Elena thought that hard to believe. She had no idea _why_ she thought that way but... something told her, that there was something else still, not yet considered by any of them.

Now, if she only knew what that was, she could maybe stop her brain from going in circles. She couldn't help but hope that Damon would saunter in the door right about now... he always had been good at bringing order into her head; or at the very least, change her train of thought entirely. But she instinctively knew he wouldn't. She hadn't asked how Stefan had been there so fast, but she suspected that he had been lurking around her house (again with the unflattering thoughts...); he did that, sometimes. Promising her a little time for her friends and herself, and not keeping his promises. Damon on the other hand... well, Damon had proven to be a huge pain in the ass more often than not, but he was a man of his word. Most of the time, at least; she wouldn't include the compulsion incident right now, she had enough on her mind as it was and...

"Fuck that!"

All eyes were immediately on her, and she realized she had talked out loud. But she didn't care though; not really. She had enough of this evening already. It was supposed to have been girl's night, and it was obvious that it wouldn't get back to that tonight. She had no intentions to sit around her kitchen, and discuss all the might be's right now.

"I'm going out, don't wait up. Just... leave everything as it is, I'll clean up tomorrow. See you around – hopefully when you're not all wound up about a single little... vision, or whatever this was. Bye."

And just like that, she blurred out the door, not even caring that she was wearing an old shirt of her father's and washed out, gray sweatpants. Damon wouldn't care what she wore anyway.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Elena had been out the door before anyone was able to say something, surprising all of them with her attitude.

While the girls (and Elijah) still had huge question marks on their faces though, Stefan had to pretend to take a sip of his tea to hide his grin behind the cup. He knew without a doubt where Elena was headed then. It had been like this for months now (he still had no idea how he had been able to _not_ see that sooner); every time when her life took another unexpected turn, Elena went to Damon for... comic relief, support, easing her conscience... whatever it was, Damon had helped her. It hadn't been unusual to find the two of them in the Boarding House parlour, just sitting and staring into the fire, or eating in the kitchen... sometimes they just sat on his bed, watching an old black-and-white movie. Whatever it was, it always had this calm and content feeling about it. Usually these moments had brought a burst of jealousy to his mind, but not anymore.

Now that Stefan had been able to let go of Elena... now that he saw that his brother and girlfriend fit together so eerily well... now he felt at peace with all he knew, with what was sure to happen.

But better late than never, right? At least, one good thing had come out of this down-the-drain attempt at a girl's night – Elena and Damon had a chance to be all alone, without him in the house. Maybe they could manage to confess their feelings to the other all by themselves, without too much interference from him...

Yeah, right; as if _that_ would happen. Snorting (and promptly raising suspicious glances) he shook his head, knowing that that was just wishful thinking. Maybe they would talk the other into madness, or just... finally fall into bed (and not the movie-watching variety). But to confess what they felt? No, that would take some meddling still.

He thought that, maybe, he should stop for a moment, and think about how strange it was that, out of nowhere, he suddenly was able to step back and let Damon have the girl. And even better, he was helping him to get her. But he realized quickly that there would be no sense in dissecting his motivations... it had always been like this; when his mind was made up, he did everything to get what he wanted. So, whatever. He would make time to think about all of that when it was over and done with.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

She could hear the music even before she had opened the door to the Boarding House, and as she _did_ open it, she had to force herself to keep her hands at her side, instead of pressing them over her ears because, god _damn_, how could Damon stand this? He always heard music this loud... even before they switched, and he always seemed to enjoy it. Yeah, the man was obviously crazy, with a capital C. Seriously; her eardrums were in danger of bursting!

Still, she had to smile... typically Damon. She looked around the parlour, but the only thing she could see, was a bowl half-full with... fruit salad. That got another smile out of her; it really was cute, how much he enjoyed only needing human food. As she got over her sentimental moment, she sped up to his room, and promptly turned the volume down to an acceptable level. Only then did she turn around to look for Damon – who had stopped mid-dance, hands still up in the air, shirt open, and jeans sinfully low on his hips. His pupils were dilated, and he had a thin layer of sweat on his body. His hair was in more disarray than usual, and his face, right down to his chest, was flushed. His breath came out in harsh bursts, and now that the music wasn't blaring in her ears anymore, she could hear the erratic pumping of his heart.

She never had been this turned on in her whole life.

Elena had come here to think about something other than all her problems, and sure, she had accomplished that. But at the same time, her impromptu visit had opened a whole new can of worms.

She never was under any illusion that Damon wasn't... good-looking, handsome... sexy, or whatever other adjective you wanted to use. But she had managed to see it, and not fall victim to it at the same time. Right now though... right now, he really looked like the man she always knew he was capable of being. She knew that it probably didn't make any sense, but she could _see_ the good he had been hiding under all those layers and masks, shining right out through his eyes.

It was frightening, how much had changed in just a few days. Before she came rushing to the Boarding House, all righteous anger and disappointment, she was content in telling herself that it was Stefan for her... always had been, always would be.

But then she woke up with a raging thirst for blood, and a whole new view of the world – figuratively, as well as literally. Damons memories, and her own out-of-whack feelings on top of that all... it made her stumble, stop, and reconsider. She still loved Stefan, very much so. But she knew without a doubt that it was virtually over between them because... when she thought about him, she did in the same context she thought of Bonnie, Caroline, or even Jeremy. Love, sure; but not the romantic kind, not the kind that made butterflies go wild in your stomach, and made you grin so broad that your face was in danger of splitting apart. No it just... over time, the passion had cooled off, and she was left slightly cold, even while in his embrace. Looking back now, she could see that they had lacked a few things from the beginning. Sure, they had been in love, and there was passion... but besides from keeping a diary, there was not much else they had in common. Sure, there was not all that much that she and Damon shared interests in either; but where she and Stefan just drifted along beside each other, trying to not see that they just didn't _fit_ right, she and Damon either balanced each other out, or spurred each other on.

They could forget reality for a few precious moments, or drown in it, while making sure they gave each other the needed breath to stay alive. And with him, she always felt alive and on fire. Stefan... Stefan made her feel safe and sheltered, but often that meant that she also felt caged in.

Damon never tried to coddle her, never had been afraid to get in her face and call her on her shit. He matched her step for step.

By now, he was busying his hands, trying to close the buttons on his shirt; he looked strangely shy and vulnerable. He had good reasons for that, she thought... she _had_ tried to eat him only a couple of short days ago, after all. And he was drunk, obviously. But tonight, everything was crazy. Her life was spinning, dancing circles around her, making her dizzy as hell, and she was beginning to forget all the reasons why she _shouldn't_ take what she wanted... what she knew they _both_ wanted.

"You're in love with me. You said so, even though you made me forget again."

His fingers stopped their fumbling, but his eyes were still trained on them, not daring to look at her.

"This is _not_ the right time to have that particular discussion."

His words were slurred; just slightly, just enough to be detected, but still. It was kind of endearing, to see him so incredibly human, and she couldn't help but think that, this spell? The best thing that happened all year.

"Why not? We're here, alone, and nobody will interrupt us. So?"

"So, I'm drunk, not in my right mind and you... well, you're you. Reason enough ..conversation."

She smiled at that... human and drunk, but Damon was still _Damon_. She was relieved to see that. In a burst of speed she was in front of him, taking his hands in hers. He looked up at her then, blinking a few times to get her face to come into focus.

"Freaky vampire speed. When we're back to normal... remind me not do that to people anymore. It's unsettling and... and I should shut up. I always talked too much when I was drunk. Back when I was huma..."

Elena rolled her eyes and shut him up the best way she could think of – pressing her lips over his.

For a moment his eyes widened, and he stood still as a statue. But then he relaxed, closed his eyes and just simply let the moment be. Soon his hands were buried in her hair, pulling her closer into his chest.

He tasted of whiskey, fruit salad and... and something she couldn't quite place. But that was okay, there was no need to, anyway. She just wanted to enjoy the moment, live in the here and now.

So she pushed him backwards, until the back of his legs met his bed. As she pushed him down onto it, he looked up at her questioningly. Just as he opened his mouth – probably to say something stupid, something to try and get her to reconsider, she shook her head and placed a gentle hand on his cheek.

"Don't ask me if I'm sure. Forget about the consequences; forget about my friends, and about Stefan. Just... we both want this. Wanted it for a long time, and I'm just so _very_ tired of always doing what people expect me to do. So don't try to...stop this, please?"

For a moment she thought he would ignore her words, and talk them both out of it. But then that grin... the one that always made her a little weak in the knees was back, and she knew that he understood; knew that she had won.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

And then their lips met again, and they forgot everything else. Doppelgangers, spells, friends and family.

It was just them, and the fire that spread where skin met skin.

Tonight they wanted to burn; bright and hot. And so what if they burned the whole world down in the process? They would just dance on its ashes.

Xoxoxoxox

Right. I guess it's safe to say that Stefan and Elena are over in this story... Finally! Now, please just let me know what you think of this chapter... I think it turned out okay, but I'm not sure, so... click on the little button below and leave me a few words? Please?

So long,

Zora.


	10. Living a dream

I am soooo sorry that you had to wait this long guys! But my darn internet was totally out of it... I couldn't even open my mail account.

BUT, the new chapter is here now (it's been done for over a week now...xD...).

Now as always, thank you sooo much, my dear AVECIA... she's the BEST beta reader I can hope for! And of course the readers and reviewers, because without you, I would probably have stopped writing on this quite some time ago^^.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about TVD, I just like to mess with them!

On with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

After wandering around town for two hours, and hunting in the woods for another three, Stefan decided that whatever Damon and Elena had been up to, they should be done by now. Talking, partying... whatever. He was human right now, so he hadn't quite the...stamina he usually had, so he and Elena should be asleep by now. But the second he entered the Boarding House, he realized that, human or not, there was _one_ thing that his brother was able to do all. Night. Long. Like fucking _his_ girlfriend. He had to grin at the sounds coming from upstairs. It was funny how easy it had been to let go in the end. He was jealous for so long, that now, after he had decided to not be that way anymore... he felt so much better. Like, after over a century of malevolence and hate, he could finally breathe free.

Still, the noises from upstairs... _not_ something he needed as a lullaby; so he went to his room, took his iPod and sighed in relief as the music blearing from the headphones directly into his ears drowned them out.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Watching Elena sleep beside him – knowing that she was naked under the covers, the early morning light gently caressing her skin – was one of the more... surreal things that had ever happened to him. And considering the life he had lead that was saying something. But this moment was feeling so unreal, in so many ways... first of all, she was here; she was in _his_ room, in _his_ arms. He had given up hope of ever having her months ago. He even had begun to resign himself to the fact that she would always only be with Stefan. He knew he shouldn't question his luck, but he couldn't help himself. Lady Luck was a bitch on a good day – and when it concerned him, she was usually a PMS-ing, vengeful witch (not unlike Bonnie, now that he thought about it). Shaking his head, he tried to get rid of those thoughts; he really should just enjoy... whatever this was. Who knew how long it would last?

"You're staring at me." He should be startled that she knew; or maybe embarrassed that he got caught. But he really wasn't... embarrassment just wasn't something he did.

"Yes, I'm aware."

A moment of silence, then...

"Stefan was right. It really _is_ creepy."

"It's creepy that you talk about Stefan while you're naked in my bed. You know, the boyfriend you cheated on with me."

He didn't know why he said that just then; he also knew that it was a stupid thing to say. And a sure-fire way to ruin the mood. She probably would now rush to put her clothes back on, and disappear out the door. Or maybe she would start to explain all the reasons that this night had been a mistake... or she could just flip them around and straddle him, giving him a glare of fierce irritation. Her eyes darkened, and the veins around them gave even more strength to the glare. In that moment, she looked more like Katherine than ever, and at the same time, nothing like her at all.

After tonight, he certainly would never be able to mistake the two of them again. Because even angry and hungry for his blood, Elena was different. Because even now, there was nothing cold or calculating in her eyes. As similar as this scene was to many a morning spent with Katherine; him on his back, his hand pressed to the mattress by her smaller ones – betraying the strength in them – and her fangs prominent as she sneered down at him... there was no mistaking Katherine and Elena anymore. With Katherine, he had been fascinated and a little scared sometimes. With Elena, there was just this feeling of coming home, of being able to rest, knowing that his heart was safe with her.

"Are you even listening to your own words? I don't know where you have been all night... but I passed cheating somewhere between pushing you onto your bed, and ripping apart my own shirt. I spent the whole night; I didn't jump up and flee. You should know me better than to think that all I'd want of you is a quick roll in the hay."

He blinked up at her, not entirely sure what to say. He probably should go with something diplomatic, something to not piss her off any further. But as always, his own advice went unheard. He really was a masochist.

"You sure about that? Because if I remember correctly, there was not one word of... feelings involved. You only told me I should forget and let it be. Not much of a love declaration if you ask me."

Elena just sighed, let go of his hands and sunk her forehead to his chest. She breathed in and out a few times; trying to calm herself down, more than likely. There really was no knowing what would happen if she would kill him right now... after all, she could be stuck a vampire permanently.

"I'm not Katherine."

"I know that, thank you." Shaking her head, she sat up again to look straight into his eyes.

"No, I don't think you do. Damon... I might have started this the wrong way... I should have gone to Stefan and I should have told him that we no longer work. Actually... I should have done _that_ at least a few weeks ago. But I don't always know what I'm feeling; I don't always see clear. I'm sorry about that, but that's just how it is. But I can see it now... that Stefan and I together would be... it would be like settling down. We work well enough, but just because we're both not invested enough to talk about the things that _don't_ work. It's never been like that with us, you know? You always call me on my crap. And I've always told you when you act like a dick again. Like you are right now, by the way."

As she leant down again to capture his lips, he should have protested. Asked her what exactly she meant with her words, if he really had a chance of winning her heart (he hated how sappy that sounded – and it was just in his head, not even spoken out loud!). But well... she was kissing him, and instead of complaining as his hand landed on her ass to pull her closer, she arched into the touch and... and the concept of thinking went flying out the window (or to a place a lot _lower_ than his brain) again.

Just as well. He could do the _thinking_ later. He always had been more of a _doing_ kind of guy.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Damon had fallen asleep again nearly half an hour ago. His breathing was deep and even, and his posture relaxed; so she crept out from under his arm, put on her sweatpants and one of his shirts. She probably looked like a child in it, but it was still better than her ripped shirt. Especially considering where she was headed to.

After she had closed the door to Damon's room, she made short work of the distance to Stefan's. She knew he was in there; had heard him tinkering around, mumbling to himself every once in a while. So now she knocked on the door and waited; not for long though, as he opened it only seconds later, a mischievous grin on his face. She was slightly worried... he never grinned, much less mischievously. He looked like the proverbial cat that got the cream, and it didn't quite fit his usual attitude.

"You're not upset."

"That's probably because I'm not." Well, at least they weren't playing the pretending game. Right?

"I slept with Damon."

"I heard. You weren't exactly quiet." Right, so no pretending. But why the fuck was he so damn calm? No use beating around the bush by now...

"Well then pardon my next choice of phrase but why the fuck are you so damn calm?" Stefan cocked his head to the side, for once looking like he and Damon actually might be related to each other; and then he smiled, lightening his whole face up.

"You make him happy. You make him human – and no, I don't mean the literal thing that's going on right now. Over the last year you _somehow_ managed to dig my brother out again. The monster that wore his face all but disappeared."

He turned around and wandered to the windows; hands clasped together behind his back, he talked on, even though he was gazing at the rising sun outside.

"Damon and I were the best of friends, once upon a time. I looked up to him; when I was just a little kid, I followed him everywhere. And he let me; never once did he complain about the nuisance of a baby brother who wouldn't let him have even a little bit of peace. He told me stories about our mother as I started to forget her, because I was too little when she died... and then one day, he went to war and came back changed. A little less... innocence and dreams in his eyes, they had become bitter and slightly rougher at the edges. Maybe he would've gotten better again but... but then Katherine came along and between us, and everything went to hell. On the day we turned, he wasn't the only one heartbroken – or just plainly broken. And my actions didn't help all that. I mean... I don't regret what I did. I'd rather have him hate me, than not have him here at all. But I've forgotten that for a while... I've forgotten that we once loved each other. And Damon had forgotten how to love altogether; his struggle to get Katherine out of the tomb, became not much more than an obsession after a few decades.

But now... now he has feelings again, and he makes fun of me in the good way; not trying to hurt me, but just teasing sometimes. Not always, mind you..."

He drifted off then, and his reflection in the windows showed her a dreamy expression; he was remembering something, and it was clearly a nice thing to remember. But she wasn't here to let him drift in memories (god and the devil knew that _she_ had been doing that enough lately).

"So you're not even... angry?" He blinked a few times and then turned around again... it was obvious that he had to concentrate to get back to reality. But he did, so she let it slide... it wasn't important.

"I would have been a month – hell, even a _week_ – ago. Angry, disappointed and sad. But seeing my brother again helped in that department so... no I really am not angry. I don't really understand it myself... but I guess some things are just meant to happen."

She was in front of him instantly, and threw her arms around him in a bone-crushing hug. She had been so afraid of his reaction to all of that. Had been afraid that he would point his finger at her and tell her that she was no better than Katherine. Most of all though, she had been afraid of hurting him; she might not be _in_ love with him anymore, but she still loved him. But it seemed that, for a change, something was working out the easy way. There was still an Original out to get her, and she still was a _vampire_ and Damon was _not_... but at least this was easy.

"One thing though... please tone the sounds down a little? There are things that I just _don't_ need to listen to."

She knew he just (or _mostly_ just) said it to lighten the mood up again, so she took it just as that, and said what needed to be said right then.

"Thank you."

And then she was out the door, back on her way to Damon's, not even waiting for his answer.

"No, thank _you_."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Damon awoke with a start as he heard the click of his door closing. He was disoriented for a moment, but then he remembered. Alcohol, music and then... Elena. A whole lot of _Elena_.

The grin that spread across his face at that memory only lasted for a few seconds though... only until he realized that he was alone in his room. As he looked around, he could still see the tattered remains of her shirt, but her sweatpants were nowhere to be found. So he had been right, after all; nothing more than a momentary lapse of judgement. Just the heightened feelings that came with being a vampire. As soon as he had fallen asleep, she must have started to panic, only waiting for him to drift off so she could escape without having to explain herself right then.

It stung, more than he wanted to admit to himself; but it was nothing he hadn't counted on, really.

He was tempted to just stay in bed; pull the cover over his head, and pretend that he wasn't about to cry like a damn little girl. But he knew from experience that hiding away from the world never worked out well for him, so he pushed his covers off and headed to the bathroom.

Looking into the mirror above the sink, he wasn't sure what he saw. There was a bite mark right where shoulder met neck, and she left a _hickey_ on his throat. And considering the stinging on his back, he was pretty sure that he would find ten red streaks from her nails, if he was to turn around and look.

But that was only one side of his reflection. His body bore the proof that last night had happened. His face though, showed without a doubt that the lonely morning after had, as well. He sighed and closed his eyes for just a moment... and as he opened them again he let out a startled gasp, for his face wasn't the only one looking back again. He turned around too quickly, nearly stumbling over his own feet; as it was, he only managed to stay standing thanks to the helping hand gripping his upper arm.

"Everything alright here? You looked kind of far away there for a moment."

"Elena?" His voice sounded like he actually had difficulties believing that it was her.

"Well, yeah. Did you expect someone else?" He opened his mouth to answer, only to realize that he hadn't one to give; what should he say, anyway?

_I just thought you would be back in the arms of my brother by now... acting _just_ like Katherine...?_

"No... I just didn't hear you come in. No supernatural hearing and all that."

But as usual, Elena saw right through his facade; sometimes he really wondered why he bothered at all.

"Right. Next time you doubt me or my words, do me a favour and wait until you have proof for your doubts before you go all... depressed and gloomy. It doesn't fit you."

And then she shimmied out of her pants, threw his shirt over her shoulder and stepped into the shower.

"I talked to Stefan. He said to please tone it down. But he was fully dressed, so I think he might be on his way out anyway... hey, are you coming, or do I have to stand in here all myself?"

He looked at her silhouette behind the glass wall to his shower, wondering what the hell just happened. But he shoved any and all thoughts to the back of his mind and joined her in the shower.

They would have to talk about this later; whatever _this_ was. He would have to ask about Stefan, and what it all meant.

But now he had a gloriously naked Elena in his shower, and she told him in no uncertain terms to join her.

_Not_ something he had to be told twice.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Right. Done with the chapter... what do you think? Not too much drama, and a whole lot of nice things for Elena and Damon. I hope you enjoyed this break in drama and chaos just as I did... just let me know; click on the little button below, and leave me a few words. Reviews are love, people!

So long,

Zora


	11. Waking up to a stranger

Hi there – I come bearing a new chapter! And not even as long a wait as for the last one, yay!

Now... thank you sooo much, my darling AVECIA, you're the BEST beta reader I can hope for. Also, thank you my lovely readers, and even more so, all of you reviewers – you always make my day!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing about TVD, I just play with them because it's so much fun!

On with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Half a night and a few hours of sunlight was all they had been allowed to have; for one moment she was lying in Damons arms, and the next she was... well, NOT.

She turned around and around, but still all she could see was darkness; all she could hear was the thundering of her own heartbeat in her ears. There was nothing else. She was alone in no-man's land. She had tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't even reach her own ears. It was as if she was locked up in some sort of vacuum. She couldn't even feel the ground under her feet, moving more or less in thin air; it would be exciting... even exhilarating, if it wasn't for the fact that _everything was dark. _

That was, when she heard the voice. Her own voice only _not_. Because she was sure she never sounded like that... well, maybe when she had been reciting an old poem for class.

"I do not wish you any harm, young Lady. But it has been so terribly long since I last wandered on earth. All I could do was watch; I watched the world change and become something new and very terrifying for such a long time... I just wish to visit it once again."

Elena knew that she should be scared. But for some reason she couldn't muster up the emotion. She felt safe and warm with the presence of this unknown woman around her.

"Well... if you want to... _visit_, then why didn't you do it before now?"

"Because I could not find a way. You see, I died a long time ago. But my soul couldn't wander to the Elysian Fields, because there was still too much for me to do.

Something in all of that seemed familiar to Elena. And then she remembered one school lesson about heaven and hell, and how different people thought of it all over time and place. And the Elysian Fields...

"You're Alyona! You're... you're Helen of Troy!"

A soft sound – more tingling of tiny little bells than laughter – reached her ears then.

"That I am, Elena Gilbert from Mystic Falls. I am Alyona, I am the first of our bloodline to walk the earth. And now I am asking to borrow your body. Not for too long, I promise you that. Just for a little while. Just so I can feel the sun and the wind again. Just so I can tell my husband goodbye... I never got to tell him that."

Blinking away the tears that suddenly had sprung to her eyes, Elena nodded, somehow knowing that Alyona would see it.

"Alright. I don't know why, but I trust you. So... okay."

There was the touch of a cold hand, and then someone kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you. I promise I won't disappoint your trust, Elena."

It was a strange place there – wherever _there_ was. But everything she felt, seemed to be more important than what she thought. Because normally, she would _feel_ she could trust this woman, but her brain would tell her that it was too dangerous to trust someone she never even met.

And then she suddenly felt like she was freefalling down from the sky, but still she was not afraid. She had the feeling that she was as soft and light as a feather, and no matter how long or far this fall might be, she would arrive at the ground safe and sound, not a single scratch from her body. So she let go of doubt she had, and just let herself be, not worried in the least what Alyona could do while inhabiting her body.

Xoxoxoxoxo

When he awoke next time – this time no doubts about Elena's feelings in his mind – he basked in the knowing of how she felt. It didn't last very long though; only a few minutes it took him to understand that the easy times where already over, even before they had really begun. It wasn't even a minute after she woke up, and he already had realized that the woman in arms? NOT Elena. Her eyes held too much self-importance, and she held herself more like a queen than the 21th century young woman that she was. Slowly he shook his head, unbelieving that after only one night all he had wished for – and finally gotten – had gone to hell again.

"You're _not_ Elena."

A lazy smile was his first answer, and then...

"Indeed, I am not. She allowed me to borrow her body... don't worry though, I fully intend on giving it back to her. I just have to have a talk with my husband first. A talk that's been long overdue."

He blinked a few times and slammed his head against the headboard once; but no, her words still failed to make any sense to him. At all.

"And who might that husband of yours _be_? _Don't worry though, I fully intend on_ not caring. Give Elena back. _Now_."

The last few words had been snide and biting, and even an idiot would have gathered the thinly veiled threat behind them. But the-woman-that-wasn't-Elena just blinked at him as if he had grown a second head, before she answered his question, completely disregarding the rest of his words.

"Menelaus, of course. You really should... oh, for a moment there I forgot. This is not home. You wouldn't know _this_ name."

"Yeah well, I don't even know _your_ name. And you're in my bed. Naked."

Her eyes widened, just now taking in their states of undress, and she quickly looked down at herself and sighed in relief as she saw that the sheet was covering all the important bits. As soon as she had lost her composure – however a short amount of time it was – she got it back.

"My name is Alyona. I am the queen of Sparta."

She sat up straight at that, one hand holding the sheets securely in place, the other held out in a manner that showed the fact that she waited for him to take and kiss it. Something he sure as hell wasn't about to do – alleged queen or not.

Not while this Alyona-person kept him from Elena.

"Pleasure I'm sure. Now I would suggest that you're going to get dressed. We have to get you to the bitch-witch so she can point her finger and pin this new debacle on me."

With that he got out of bed, not caring he was naked. She would have to deal with it; it was her own fault that she had a bad timing. She should have just stolen Elena's body when she was _not_ still asleep after spending the night with him. But than again, she shouldn't have stolen it, at all.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

It had taken him less force to get the woman to come with him to Bonnie. Actually, it hadn't been a problem at all. She had just smiled pleasantly, dressed in Elenas discarded clothes, and went with him

And wonder over wonder, after she had introduced herself to Judgy (and said Judgy witch had gasped and made a nice impersonation of a goldfish out of water for a moment), she had turned around and called – of all people – Elijah. Now they were sitting in the Bennett's living room, sipping on tea, waiting for the Original to arrive. Not even _once_ did Bonnie even hint that any of this was his fault.

In all honesty, it was creeping him the fuck out. Bonnie never missed a chance to play a round of her favourite game: _Let's blame Damon_.

Really, this week turned out to be weirder than the whole rest of his existence altogether. And just when he thought it couldn't get any stranger at all, another oddity rolled his way.

He was pulled out of his musings as the doorbell rang. The witch nearly jumped out of her seat and rushed to the door; a few seconds later she was back, Elijah – immaculately groomed as always – in tow.

While Bonnie busied herself with readying another cup of tea, Elijah sat down and took a look at Elena. Suddenly he sat up straight – or well, straighter even than usual – and knitted his brows together. It was obvious that he had realized already that something wasn't quite right with Elena.

He had to give the man points for realizing it nearly as quickly as he had himself.

And the little body thief leaned forward, elbows on her knees, chin cushioned on her intertwined fingers and smiled; she smiled warm and soft, brilliantly. If he had even one poetic bone in his body, he would say something like _'a smile that brought light even into the last corner of a windowless room'._

But as that wasn't the case, the only thing that came to mind was, that it was a look similar to the one Elena had given him over her shoulder this morning, as she was disappearing into his shower, challenging him to follow. And then everything clicked into place.

The reason she came with him without any hassle at all? Because she probably knew that she would get to see her husband all the faster like that.

"Alyona."

One word only, but already Damon could tell that very soon he would get to see a side of Elijah that wasn't all trimmed and proper or posh. Because in that one word, there was so much emotion, so much upheaval that it sparked a little sympathy even in him.

Alyona though just smiled even brighter, laughter and love dancing in her eyes.

"Menelaus. My love."

Without a moments warning the smile fell from her face and her expression darkened, a tear making its way out of the corner of her eye, leaving a single track down her cheek. And then she rushed forward, using her preternatural speed for all it was worth. Elijah met her halfway, and then they were clinging to each other, all tears, sobs and kisses, murmuring in a language he couldn't understand.

He felt like he was intruding in a far too intimate moment, like he got to see a wonder happening. For a moment it wasn't even important that technically, _Elena_ was clinging to Elijah.

Because Elena wasn't here, and neither was Elijah. It was two very human people – two people very much in love – reuniting after too much time apart. He tried to shake the feeling that this was right... he really should hate that Elena was lost somewhere, without her body. That he couldn't kiss and hold her right now – just like Elijah was kissing and holding his _wife_.

But he knew the feeling to wish for something that he theoretically _knew_ he couldn't have. So he left his place on the couch, went to where Bonnie was staring at the two of them like hypnotized, and grabbed her hand. She was so startled, that she didn't even protest as he pulled her out of the living room and into the kitchen.

Only there she found her brain again, and promptly pulled her arm out of his grip.

"What the fuck, Damon! What's _wrong_ with you?"

He felt the strong need to roll his eyes at her, but decided to restrain himself – still no vampire-healing, and this time there was nobody here who could get in between the witch and her headache trick.

"Nothing is wrong with me... well, not more than usual. They just seemed to need a little time alone; without prying eyes."

Bonnie just stared at him with wide eyes, seemingly not comprehending what he had just said.

"Alone...time. Since when are you _nice_? You're _never_ nice – _Stefan_ is the nice brother here! Oh wait... you're not gone too, right? You're still Damon? Or did someone steal your body too?"

He would have laughed if it wasn't so sad. He wasn't really _that_ bad, right? Surely it couldn't be possible that the witch would rather believe in a weird body-snatcher theory than in him being nice?

Sighing he sat down on one of the chairs around the kitchen table, suddenly feeling every day of his 150 plus years of existence.

"No Bonnie, nobody stole _my_ body. I'm still me; _self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities_, and all that. It might be a good idea to get it into your head that I can be _more_ than that, if I want to. And right now all I know is that just after a few seconds in the presence of his... wife... Elijah lost the broom he usually has up his ass and finally acting like a semi-human being. That has to count for _something_."

Shaking her head ever-so-slightly, Bonnie sat down at the other side of the table, looking at him like she had never seen him before. This right now was probably the first time he really didn't like the fact that he was human at the moment. Because usually he couldn't care less about what Judgy thought of him but... right now it irked him somewhat that she was confused out of her mind, just because he acted nice.

"Look... I know you don't like me – and it's no secret that the feeling is mutual – but you have to lose this idea of yours that I'm the epitome of all things bad and evil. I might not be the nicest person out there... not even close, really... but I'm not the worst either. I'll admit freely that for a long time, I took the easy way out. Shut off my feelings, and just went with what my instinct told me. And the instinct of a vampire is the same as that of a predator. But not even you can say that I've done anything that might justify you trying to make my head burst in the last few months. So can't we just... agree on a... truce, for the time being? At least until everything is a normal as it can get in Mystic Falls."

Still blinking like an owl, Bonnie slowly stood up again, visibly fighting with herself, and with what she should do. Or _wanted_ to do. But then she got this mulish look on her face that usually meant he was in the doghouse again. Moving around the table, she came to a stop only a step in front of him.

"Listen... Elena is my best friend, and I hate what is happening here right now. I hate that she is a vampire, and I hate that I can't do anything against it for at least another six days. But... but she likes you, and she _trusts_ you. So... until we have solved all of this... yes. I think we can do that."

And then she held her hand out, similar to the way Alyona did earlier (only not quite, because Bonnie wouldn't want him to _kiss_ her hand). Only this time, he took his into his, and they both strengthened their grip, shaking hands.

"So, truce?"

"Yes. Truce."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

So. That's that. Not much progress with the plot here, but now you've met Alyona for real so... please tell me what you think of her (and of this chapter as a whole). Just click on the little button below and leave me a few words – reviews are love, after all!

So long,

Zora


	12. History lessons

GASP; SHRIEK!... there, look at that it's… it's…an… UPDATE!

Okay right, enough with the theatrics… I am so, sooo sorry that this took me so long. But life has been a busy little bitch these last few weeks. Really, all I can do is apologize… and hoping that you are still interested in this story!

Now, as always I thank my lovely beta AVECIA for her great work (go read her stories – they are so good, that I even read the Damon/Caroline ones!) and of course to my just as wonderful readers and reviewers – you guys keep me going!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about TVD – I just mess with them because it would be a shame NOT to!

On with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

While Elijah was reuniting with his wife, Bonnie and Damon sat across from each other in the kitchen, the silence and tension nearly thick enough to cut it with a knife. Because now that they had decided on a truce, they really had no idea what to do or say. Usually they would threaten and try everything to get a rise out of the other. But _that_ would lead to fighting, which usually made Bonnie pull out her 'headache-trick' and Damon would try to taunt her even more for it. Something to definitely avoid while stuck in a truce… right now it would also _kill_ Damon. For good. And even though she wouldn't shed a single tear for the man… she really would _hate_ it if Elena would be angry at her. And then there was the possibility that her best friend would be stuck permanently in her undead state– another thing to steer clear of.

The only sound in the room was the steady ticking of a clock and the tapping of a bare foot on the tile floor – both of them were too stubborn to break the silence first. They both heaved a heavy sigh of relief as Stefan came rushing through the door, somehow managing to be out of breath even though he technically didn't _need_ air to survive. He looked around frantically, the veins around his eyes clearly visible, incisors long and decidedly not human looking. As he saw that there was no immediate danger, he relaxed marginally (reigning in his more predatory side). Moments later he had a confused look on his face and turned to Bonnie.

"You texted me to come here as fast as I possibly can; that there's an emergency."

Yeah… his brother sounded decidedly NOT amused with the little witch. He would grin and maybe even outright laugh at that; if there wasn't that pesky little truce he had negotiated himself (sometimes his more clever ideas turned around to bite him in the ass… really inconvenient).

It was still amusing to watch her squirm under Stefan's shame-on-you-stare; mostly because it was really nice not being the one on the receiving end for once.

"Well, there is an emergency… sort of. I'm alone with Damon, and Elena is in my living room – making out with Elijah and…"

"Really? You called me because you're alone with Da… woah, wait a second. Repeat the last part, because I could swear you just said that Elena is…"

"Making out with Elijah. You heard right, oh brother dearest."

Now the confused look was back on Stefan's face, and he could practically _hear_ his brain jumping into overdrive. But anyone with eyes could see that the words made neither rhyme nor reason to him.

"Don't get me wrong Damon but… isn't she supposed to do that with _you_? Last time I checked, you weren't big onto sharing what you see as yours."

The only thing _that_ comment managed to do was to make the same empty expression appear on Bonnies face.

_Great, a clueless witch AND a vampire with no idea what's going on. Lucky me._

"I think you got something wrong there Stefan… after all, Elena wasn't his girlfriend, last time I checked."

"And when _was_ the last time you checked?" Damon nearly started to laugh again – it was simply hilarious, how his brother seemed to have found the part of himself again which allowed him to have fun.

"Ex…cuse me? What does that even mean? Elena is your girlfriend, not Damon's."

Now both brothers grinned rather devilishly (_yeah_, Damon thought… it's really nice that his brother is acting like himself again; not like the broody Mr. Buzz-kill he had been for the last century or so) and exchanged a quick look.

"Oh I don't know about _that_. The moans and screams from his bedroom last night had been a really good giveaway at what the two of them had been up to…"

Bonnie's eyes where as big as saucers by then, and a strange (and admittedly deranged) part of him pictured them actually popping out; hanging out of her eye sockets by muscles and nerves.

"By the way Damon… next time hang a sock or something on the front door if you're going at it. I really didn't need those particular sounds to lull me into sleep. I'm really more into Bach or Beethoven than '_Damon and Elena – fucking the living daylights out of each other: Volume one'_… although, I think I need a new name for that. It's too long."

By now the witch looked about ready to faint on the spot. She was doing a remarkable imitation of a goldfish out of water, too.

Just as she was getting her act back together and would have probably done something stupid (he could see it in her eyes… they had this glimmer in them that usually meant trouble for him) Elijah and Elena-Alyona stepped into the room.

They stood in the doorway, fingers intertwined; for the first time since they met him, Elijah's expression was not indifferent, amused or bored. No, right now there were actual feelings showing on his face; by the look of it, he wasn't trying to hide them either. He just seemed genuinely happy.

Silence had fallen over the room again, and they were all waiting for The Old One to break it.

In the end though, it was his _wife_ who did it. She let go of Elijah's hand and stepped farther into the room. Then she smiled gently at all of them before she spoke.

"I am very grateful that I had the chance to speak to my dear husband again… that you allowed me to meet him, and not demanded for me to give Elena back right away. I know it must have been hard for you but… I assure you that what I did was for a very good reason."

The smile that had dropped from Stefan's face as soon as he had seen Elijah and Elena (or what he thought was Elena) entering the room hand in hand, had now entirely turned into a frown. Usually Damon would have made fun of that, but he conceded to the fact that he had a reason this time.

As if she sensed the confusion of his brother – or maybe she just interpreted the frown right – Alyona turned to Stefan and held her hand out to him; it was in the same fashion she did to Damon earlier that morning… and Stefan being the good boy he had always (or at least sometimes) been, took it gingerly in his, bended over and kissed the air right above her knuckles.

Well learned and remembered… it seemed that you just couldn't kill the southern Gentleman in one being, even after nearly a hundred and fifty years. Figures.

"You must be Stefan. I have learned much about you, while residing in the back of Elena's mind. She thinks very fondly of you indeed."

A small smile ran over Stefan's face at that, but it was gone nearly as fast as it had appeared there.

"Well… I think very fondly of her too so… would you mind explaining to me where she is? And who are_ you_?"

She smiled that eerily calm smile of hers again, before backtracking her earlier steps to reclaim Elijah's hand.

"Very well… I think it really is time to tell my – _our_ story. The story of the first vampires and werewolves… the story of the first Doppelganger. It is, after all, the real reason why I had to come back one more time."

Stefan and Damon immediately straightened up at that, and even Bonnie forgot to throw a tantrum at the fact that her best friend seemed to be sharing more than animosity with the _bad_ Salvatore brother.

"It all began a long time ago; when people still believed in gods and fates – when they still feared the wrath of them, and tried to sooth them with all their might…."

_**Flashback**_

_If it weren't for the sound of the raindrops hitting the dry sand and the thunder rumbling high above in the sky, it would be a deathly quiet night. No birds sang their songs, no people were out – not down in the city of Troy, and sure as hell not up in the mountains. The small paths that led up to the top were small and dangerous on a good day… but in a thunderstorm like this one, nobody sane would dare to try and climb it._

_But then again, the gap between sanity and insanity was often crossed faster than one would think possible. Love could make a person desperate enough to do so, as could the threat of imminent death._

_And so a fair-haired young man, in the prime of his youth and strength – one hand firmly grasped around the small wrist of a woman with dark hair and eyes, and the other pressed over a wound on the left side of his chest – happened to be desperate enough to use the path; for he was not only in love, but he was also dying._

_The woman stumbled along behind him, her tears carried away by rain and wind even before they could fall from her eyes, her desperate cries for the man to just stop, or let her go stolen by the bitter wind. And even though the circumstances should have made it impossible… even though they should have fallen to their death, or the man should have bled out a long time ago… they reached the top of the mountain, both of them still alive._

_And there, nestled into the half circle of the edge of a small wood was a small hut, flickering light still making its way out from under the closed shutters. The man got more impatient with each step he took forward, feeling that his strength – his life and blood – was starting to fade now. So he went faster and faster, the last few steps nearly running._

_Then he was letting go of the wound in his chest (never of her arm, because he feared she would just turn around and run back to that other man… to that bastard she dared to call her _husband_) and banged on the door as loud and hard as he could. Moments later it was wrenched open, and in front of them stood a pretty, young woman. She had very fair skin and reddish hair; but as small and slender as she was, her brown eyes spit fire at them and showed strength far beyond anything physical._

"You_!" Her voice was so full of hate and, hidden so deeply that someone who had never had the misfortune of a broken heart wouldn't have heard it, pain. That one word would've sent most men running for their lives… but he wasn't most men, and he was in need of help only the little redhead could provide._

"_Yes, it is me… and I need your _help_. I am dying, and I can think of nobody else to save my life now. You have to help me!"_

_First, his voice had sounded nearly pleading, but at the end it was more demanding than anything else; the voice of a man who was used to getting whatever he wanted_

_She stared at the both of them, taking in the blood seeping out of his wound, his tight grip on the other woman's wrist; the anguished expression of the dark haired beauty. And as the eyes of both women met, they found a kin soul in the other. Both their hearts broken by the same man. Alyona – called _Helena_ by those ignorant people of the city of Troy – stolen from her beloved Menelaus. And Oenone sent to live up there where no one ever came to keep her company, just because her husband, the bleeding man standing before her now, had wanted the beautiful Helena for himself. She could feel hatred towards that woman… but it wasn't her fault that she was born, looking as she was. It wasn't her fault that Paris was possessed by beauty, or that he always wanted what wasn't his for the taking. But at the same time she was bitter and couldn't find it in herself to just straighten a path for her to a happily ever after. So she found a way to get her own revenge, and to give the other woman a chance to do the same thing – but not now, and not for a long time. _

_So she cursed the man she once called her love. She cursed him with eternal youth, so that he would always be as young and beautiful as he was now. But at the same time, she made sure that the sun could never again reach his skin without bringing him pain and permanent death; she made sure that the blood he so hated when it marred his clean clothes and skin, would always be needed to sustain him._

_At the same time, she sent a curse to one of his greatest opponents too – making him into the wolf his name stood for. And at last, she made the love of the other woman into the same monster she had made of her own man._

_As soon as the man felt his strength returning to him he turned around, tugging at Alyonas arm to make her come with him. Just before she was out of reach, Oenone laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed it once. Then she had to follow Paris, back down the mountain._

_Only, she never reached the bottom of it. Halfway down a rock fall broke loose, taking them both with it. _

_The sun went up, and down again, and as the moon was nearly at its highest, an arm – soon followed by the rest of a body – made its way out from under stone and dried mud. After him, he dragged the broken body of a once beautiful Alyona, her eyes wide and staring into nothing._

_Yes, he was still standing – not rotting away in a grave, or burned to ashes in a hero's funeral-pyre. But what for? The woman he had loved was dead now… and though he should feel despair, the only thing he could really think of was how delicious the congealed blood on her face smelled._

_**End of Flashback**_

They all were silent as she ended her tale, too stunned to say anything. Neither of them had ever thought how or why vampires and werewolves came into existence… not even Damon or Stefan themselves, even though they had lived with fangs and a serious sun allergy for almost a century and a half. But… as Damon once had said: _'didn't it always come down to the love of a woman?'_

It maybe would even be funny… if it wouldn't be so terribly tragic at the same time.

"So… let me get this straight. You are Helen of troy which… probably makes Klaus into Paris? So Elijah was…" Of _course_ Stefan would know his literature…

"Menelaus, the King of Sparta." And as startled as they looked… every one of them could imagine the proud man in front of them sitting on an actual throne, ruling over a country.

"Well… that's all fine and dandy, really. Klaus managed to piss of the wrong witch who – in turn – laid those curses on you two and… turned someone else into a werewolf. But that really doesn't explain the whole Doppelganger thing; not in the least." Damon earned himself a scolding look from Judgy at that… but as long as those weren't accompanied by bursting blood vessels in his brain, he really couldn't care less.

"Ah yes, that. You see, as Oenone touched my shoulder, she sent me a message. She let me know that I would have a chance to find my own revenge; she made it so that at random times a Doppelganger would be born. If the circumstances were right… if her heart and soul were similar to mine so she would be like me not only in looks I could come back. I could come back, and take his life myself. Because you see… only a Doppelganger can end his life for good. And only _I_ have the knowledge of how to accomplish that." There were a few moments of silence before Damon spoke up again.

"So… you're here to kill Klaus?" She had that eerie smile on her face again; only this time it was edged with hate and even a little cruelty… something that would never have happened if it were _actually_ Elena they were talking to.

"Yes. I am here to kill Klaus."

Xoxoxoxoxoxox

Right so… what do you think? Still okay like this? I hope so, because I had actually great fun, writing this chapter! Again, sorry for the delay and now… please leave me a few words and tell me if you liked this chapter (or maybe hated it… don't know o.O). Reviews are love, people!

So long,

Zora


	13. Confessions in the Dark

Okay so… I THINK this update came at least a little bit faster than the last one… not by much though, I'm afraid. I'm really, REALLY sorry for that but… I hardly ever have the time to sit myself down and write. And when I DO have the time, all I want to do is sleep and relax. Well anyway. I managed a new chapter, and I'm actually satisfied with it.

So: A veeeery big thank you goes to AVECIA, my dear beta reader who I KNOW has even less time than I have, and still managed to read over this chapter! And to all you lovely readers and reviewers… I would be soooo screwed without you guys!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing 'bout TVD, I just mess with them because it would be a shame not to!

Now, on with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Soon after they had come to terms with the fact that the woman momentarily inhabiting Elena's body was here for the sole reason to kill Klaus – well maybe not the _sole_ reason… there had been some seriously heated gazes wandering from her to Elijah and back… - they went back to the Boarding House.

There was no way that Alyona could pretend to be Elena in front of Jenna, so they had decided that Stefan would have to fake mono – meaning he would need the care of his ever-loving girlfriend. No reason in letting Jenna know just yet that the Stefan/Elena fairytale had come to an end.

That would be an interesting conversation for another day (one on which Damon would not be around for. He wanted to keep on living, thank you very much.). So now he, Stefan, Elijah and Alyona/Elena sat in the living room of the Boarding House; nobody had said even one word in the past ten minutes, and it was starting to border on insane. What the hell where they doing, giving each other the silent treatment? This was certainly not the weirdest thing to ever happen… or well, maybe it was, but still; shouldn't they've gotten used to weird and/or strange by now? Because, even for vampire standards they've led fairly unusual lives. Doppelgangers, First Ones, Werewolves… it all played together to make one screwed up story.

But Damon still had no idea what topic would be safe around here, and as the only human in the room (see? Another weird thing. After 140 odd years of being a vampire, he suddenly was _human_ again) he felt the need to not try and get a rise out of the other occupants of the room.

So in the end he just took one of his better Whisky bottles up to his room, and settled for a nice night of reading. Only minutes after he made himself comfortable though, there was a slight knocking on the door and soon after it opened and revealed Alyona.

"Elijah left and I told Stefan to go put headphones on; I thought it might be better than him complaining about _unholy noises_ again."

Or maybe _not_ Alyona?

"Elena?"

Softly smiling, she shut and locked the door behind her, beginning to shed her clothing on her way to the bed. Interesting. _Very_ interesting.

"Yeah… it seems that it takes up quite a bit of strength for her to stay in my body so she decided to… rest for a while. And I think she was tempted to do things with Elijah that I _wouldn't_ approve of. It's still my body, after all… well, either way; we have the whole night for ourselves. Maybe a little more, maybe less, I don't know _exactly_… she's going to tell me when she wants back in though, and this time I'll warn you beforehand."

As she stopped talking, she stepped out of her panties, and took the last step that separated her from the edge of his bed.

She stood there as if she wasn't naked – comfortable, relaxed, totally at ease. He loved it, because it meant that she wasn't ashamed of him, herself or what they would be doing.

He had heard what she had said alright… but right now, he felt his blood rushing down south, not leaving enough in his brain to consciously think about her words. And thinking was overrated anyway, so he got rid of his shirt and socks, pulled Elena on top of him, and together they worked on letting the rest of his clothing disappear, too.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

For a minute or two Stefan actually thought about doing what Elena told him to, but then he decided it was healthier for him to just leave the house entirely.

So now he sat in the Grill, tucked away in a dark corner where people won't look too close – just a little precaution. Because otherwise they would see a seventeen year old, with a half-empty bottle of Bourbon (so what if his chosen poison was the same as Damon's? They where brothers, had known each other for over 160 years… it was only natural that they had at least a _few_ things in common!). He hadn't been alone for long though. Barely half an hour after he got comfortable on the old wooden bench, Elijah slid into the chair across from him. He hadn't said one word – just placed his own bottle of hard liquor on the table and proceeded to drink right out of it, not even bothering with a tumbler. It was fairly unusual for the man who seldom acted anything else but refined and proper.

Stefan needn't to ask what was wrong; the man had talked with his dead wife after over two thousand years of missing her. And right now, said wife had disappeared into a dark corner of Elena's mind again, and Elena in turn, had disappeared into Damon's bedroom. And they both weren't blue-eyed enough _not_ to know what was going on in said bedroom right now.

For Elijah, it had to feel as if his wife was cheating on him. Or at least close to it. Also, he already knew that he couldn't keep her, that she would go on to wherever one went after their final death. Right now he could see the millennia spent alone reflecting in the man's eyes; could see the weariness of a world devoid of anything even remotely worth living for. The Old One they had feared for quite some time was tired, and not just in a sense of _'I need a good night's sleep'_.

Stefan had the feeling that, after all of this was finally, _finally_ over… that Elijah would find a way to follow Alyona to where she'll go… or at least find a way to permanently end his unlife.

"You are looking at me as though I could answer you the great questions of humankind. Just say what you want, boy."

Stefan rolled his eyes at the condescending way the man was talking to him. There was no use in trying to win his respect. To that day, he still had no idea how Damon managed to get it – but he obviously did, because even though a blind man could've seen that they disliked each other, Elijah barely ever spoke _down_ to his brother.

"I just wondered… you cannot be killed. The dagger with the ashes of this tree might turn you into a corpse, but it doesn't really _kill_ you; for good. You pull it out, and you're as good as new again. So… how does it feel, the time in which you are not able to move or do…well, anything?"

Elijah lifted one eyebrow at the question, and right there Stefan had answered his first – unspoken – question. Damon hadn't earned Elijah's respect; he probably just reminded the man of himself. Because right now it was painfully obvious that they were more than a little bit alike. Both sarcastic to a fault, irritatingly sure of themselves…

"However do you manage to think of such things? I do believe that you spend _way_ too much time inside your own head. You think too much." Elijah washed his words down with a healthy swallow of his drink.

Yeah, definitely an older version of Damon Salvatore. _Creepy_.

"But either way, it's… a little bit like the state between asleep and awake. You are not really aware of the time that goes by, but neither are you _'dead to the world' _as some might say. A little less than awake; a little more than dreaming. That is the best way I know how to describe it."

Stefan was slightly surprised that he got an answer at all… but he wasn't about to question his luck, so he rolled the words around in his head, trying to imagine how it might feel, but came to no satisfying result. He had guessed it might be a little bit like the state the tomb vampires had been in. Reduced to a dried-out shell, not able to move, but still feeling and hearing everything going on around them. But even if that were the case… he never had starved to a point so severe. Ever. And after what Elijah had said it wasn't the case anyway.

He just nodded to the other vampire, taking a swallow of the amber liquid in his glass, returning back to his thoughts, and leaving Elijah to his own.

It wasn't as if he had terribly much to do at the moment. Alyona had yet to tell them how she would manage to kill Klaus; his little side project as a matchmaker had been successful already, and he couldn't go back to his house right now _because_ he had succeeded.

Maybe Elijah (and his brother too… _damn_) had been right. He really _was_ spending too much time in his own head.

Sighing he looked at his bottle… still nearly half full. Shrugging, he abandoned his glass and mimicked his silent companion – drinking right out of the bottle.

It was way after midnight, and still there was light on in Bonnie's room. She was sitting on the floor, surrounded by dozens of old tomes; her hair was up in a messy bun, she wore the oldest sweatpants she could find that still fit her, and one of her dad's old College shirts.

As soon as the vampires (and Damon) had disappeared, she made a mad-dash for her attic. She had felt the honest intent of the woman-that-was-not-Elena, but still there was something she hadn't told them; she had no idea _how_ she knew, she just _did_. So now she reread everything she had found out about the doppelganger already, and tried to find new things with the information she had gotten from Alyona. At the same time, she went over everything about _Helen of Troy_ in her old history books and on the internet to see what they had to say about her.

When this was over… when Klaus was dead, Elena was just Elena again (_not_ the host for an ancient Queen _or_ a vampire) and everything was as close to normal again as it could get… well, she would lock away the Grimoir and all things about magic, and would pretend to be a normal teenager again. At least for a while; she just needed a damn holiday from all this supernatural stuff.

Really… when she thought about how fast her life had turned from normal and mediocre to… supernatural, magical and _crazy_, her head spun so fast that she nearly had to throw up; she had always hated the rollercoaster, and now her life had turned into one. She had always been the one waiting outside with all of their purses while Elena and Caroline rode the stupid things, her face turning slightly green just watching.

Slowly she got to her feet and walked the five steps to her bed, and then flopped down again. She was so, so tired that it wasn't even close to funny anymore.

She needed to sleep; but every time she did so, she had nightmares, got visited by Emily or had strange visions she couldn't quite make a sense of.

So now, she was afraid of even closing her eyes for two minutes. She had no idea how long she would be able to live like this; not long though, that much was sure. She constantly had to fear for the lives of her best friends or her own. She felt responsible for the safety of this town – she _was_ the last Bennett witch living here, after all… the list went on and on, driving her to near madness, sometimes.

Without even realizing it, she had found her way under her covers, her head comfortably resting on the soft pillow. Ever so slowly her eyes drifted shut, and soon her breath had evened out.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

It was close to sunrise; the world outside was quiet – it was the time where nearly everyone was asleep. Owls and other night-hunters (be it animal, human or neither) had already found their sleeping place for the nearly-there day, and the things that wandered under the sun had not yet risen.

Damon's room was dark, but they grey-ish color that was typical for this time of the night lent it enough room for even human eyes to see – if not much else – contours.

The large window was open, the curtain billowing inside from a slight, refreshing breeze; if she listened closely enough, Elena could hear the humming sound of insects flying around, or the rustle of the wind in the nearby forest.

It was so peaceful, that she was afraid to move even an inch; it might destroy the mood and let reality back in. If she could, she would freeze this moment in time, bottle it up, and come back every time her life threatened to get too confusing again. It was… perfect.

There she lay, fully satisfied after a night full of decadent love-making, in the arms of the man she loved more than anything. She blinked then; could it be? And really, as she thought about the moments in between coming to him after her trip into the past, until now… she never once _told_ him.

She said she wanted him, needed him… told him to forget and just be; she even broke up with Stefan and all but made it clear that she _wouldn't_ run back to him, that she would stand by _him, _Damon.

But she never once actually said the words.

"What's wrong? You look like you just realized that Santa isn't real."

Normally she would have turned to him, eyes all big and her lips drawn into a pout, saying _'he isn't?'_, but right now she felt there was no time to loose on unimportant banter.

She still did turn around to face him, but instead of putting a fake pout onto her face, she lifted one hand to his cheek, gently caressing the side of his face.

"Okay, now you're just scaring me. Honestly, what's up?"

She smiled, soft and tender to reassure him.

"Nothing's wrong I just… I realized that over all that's happened these past few days… I forgot something important."

She could see that he was trying to think of something that might be important enough to her that she would think so hard over it in the middle of the night; but it was plain as day that he couldn't find anything.

"Right so… you had the big break-up talk with Stefan, we can't do a thing about the vampire/human mix up we've got going on – we have to wait for a specific moon phase for that, or something. Jeremy and Jenna are alright and at home, Elijah is probably off pouting because he didn't get the chance of a quickie with his wife. Bonnie was perfectly fine as we last saw her, and the Teacher probably fell asleep over paper grading; again. Vampire Barbie can take care of herself, as can her pet-wolf. So… I'm pretty sure everything is taken care of right now."

She thought it said quite a bit about him and how little he thought of himself, considering that never once in this monologue did he mention _himself_. It just made her feelings for him even stronger; made her want to tell him even more.

"Not everything. I forgot to tell _you_ something."

She could see that he fought to keep eye contact with her, and knew that he waited to be let down again.

"I love you."

Just like that. No talking around the topic or making a big thing out of it. Just the three little words; and boy, was it worth it.

His eyes changed from surprised to unbelieving to… pure and unadulterated joy. It was like he was a child, and Christmas, his Birthday and all the other holidays had been thrown together into a single, big event. He laid one of his hands over hers that still covered his face and leaned into her palm. His eyes were closed now, but the expression on his face alone told her that she had done the right thing. He seemed as if tons of ballast had been lifted off of his shoulders… and just because she told him that she loved him.

As he opened his mouth to return her words – she _knew_ it was for that – she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips to shut him up. There was no need for him to tell her right now; he had been _showing_ her all along, and right now, it was _his_ moment to feel loved and cherished.

And so she rolled him onto his back, straddling his hips and began the age-old dance anew; whispering _'I love you'_ and _'You're the _only_ one I want' _again and again; burning the words into his heart and mind, so he'd never forget or doubt them, ever.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

All done! Well, for this chapter at least. Not with the story as a whole, of course. Now it's your turn – please let me know what you think of this chapter (did I good with the sappy "I love you" scene?). Reviews are love, people!

So long,

Zora


	14. Never underestimate your family

I don't really know if I should go and hide, or if I should do a happy dance because I finally managed a new chapter… maybe a bit of both…. Though I first have to find out how I manage to mix those two things. Anyway, here it is: a NEW CHAPTER. YAY. My only excuse this time, is a fucking writers block. Not a good excuse I know but… it is what is it, right?

Now, as always, a huge thanks to AVECIA, who always finds the time to beta read my chapters, no matter how busy she is. Thanks you sweetheart! Also, thank you, my dear readers and reviewers. You comments always make my day!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything 'bout TVD – I just play with them because it is so much fun!

Now, on with it!

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The wind made an unholy sound as it rushed through the naked branches of the trees all around her. The world beyond the little clearing she was standing on was stark black – as if nothing existed outside of it. Nothing but the wind, the dead leaves on the ground and the full moon that was high up in the sky. She took a moment to appreciate the perfectly covered scene from every half-assed horror movie, before she tried to figure out what was going on. Had Emilie stolen her body again and done something? But no, the tiredness in her bones and the feeling of having all of her powers drained was missing.

So no Emilie, this time. This was also not a dream. She could think just fine, and she was very aware of everything. So, if this was neither Emilie's fault, nor a dream….

_Great, a vision. _Just_ what I need right now._

And just as suddenly as the realization hit her, the leaves on the ground started rising like tiny puppets on a string and built a twirling curtain around her. They spun around so fast, that she soon became dizzy and would've sat down… if it wasn't for the fact that it felt important to her that she stayed on her own two feet.

Now all of the leaves – every single one – were gone from the ground, leaving not earth and grass, but a big nothing. Looking up, the moon was gone too, replaced by endless black – not even stars were anywhere near in sight. But while she'd been busy staring first down and then up, the leaves had changed their dance, and were now starting to form shapes… shapes that soon became people.

The next thing she knew, she saw her Grams standing before her – and behind her generations of Bennett men and women. She had no idea why she knew that those where all of her ancestors, she just _did_. And as glad as she was to see her Grandmother again… she knew that this was a bad sign for things to come.

"Where am I? I'm not dreaming, right? This is real?"

Sheila just smiled at her granddaughter, gentle and a little sad at the same time, before she stepped up to her and enveloped her in her arms; showing her that, indeed, this was real. No dream ever felt just like a real hug.

"Yes my dear, you're right. Well… almost. You are not dreaming; but you're not quite awake either. As you fell asleep we called you. It is time for you to know."

"To… know? To know what, exactly? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Now another woman came forward. Her skin was fair and she had red hair and brown eyes… far away from the way she or her grandmother – or even Emily – had looked. The only thing even a little dark about her looks where her eyes – a deep brown color, heavy with grieve and guilt.

"Hello Bonnie. My name is Oenone. I believe that you have heard of me, as the Queen of Sparta told you her story."

Bonnie had to think for a moment, but then she remembered.

"Y… you're the woman that made Klaus into what he is. You're the one that created the first vampire."

Oenone nodded her head once; but even though there was shame in her gaze, she never once broke eye contact.

"That I am. And I am very sorry about that. But I was heartbroken and bitter, and felt the need to make his life – and that of Alyonas, too – miserable. If I would have known what consequences my actions would bear, I would just have let him die. But sadly, I can't change the past. I couldn't back then and certainly not now that I am dead."

"Yeah so, you feel guilty. That's nice to know, but doesn't help anyone. So just tell my why it is that I'm here. Certainly you wouldn't just drag me here just to say you're sorry."

A smile lit up the face of the other woman for a moment, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

"I see that the hard-headedness in our family has remained, and is still running strong through our veins. Bonnie… as you arrived here, you must have felt that we share the same blood – and the same magic. We are one family. So now you are here because I need you to know your place in this story."

"My place? I know exactly what my place is. It's as the best friend of Elena. It's to make sure she comes out at the end of this alive; because you and that freaking Queen had been selfish, and now her life is on the line because of that. Good job, by the way."

The little redhead looked at her exasperated – obviously not used to someone speaking to her like that. Bonnie couldn't care less though– just because back then she'd had her heart broken and wanted revenge, everything was now going to hell in her life? She had a fucking right to be angry.

Taking in a deep, calming breath, Oenone settled her rising temperament and spoke, as if Bonnie hadn't interrupted her.

"You can be the best friend all you want… but you still have something else to do. It is true what Alyona said; Klaus really can only be killed by a Doppelganger. It is also true that only she knows _how_ to kill him. But you are needed too. Without your magic, not even she will be able to do anything against him. Now listen to me, and listen closely – because we don't have much time left here, and I can't call you to me a second time. When the moment arrives and you and your friends are up against him, you'll need to…"

And Bonnie did listen closely. She took everything in that Oenone had to tell her. She knew she needed to be ready when the time arrived.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Barely even awake, he stretched his arm across the bed in search of Elena. But as he came up with nothing but already cold sheets, he pried his eyes open. And really, she was gone again. But at least this time she left him with a note, right there on her pillow.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he took up the note and unfolded it – squinting his eyes a little so he could read it. Stupid eyes, taking so long to adjust to the morning light. But then the words came into focus and he had to roll his eyes.

_I'm going to visit Katherine. I have shackles and vervain with me, and I won't take any risks with her. Just want to ask her a few things. Be back later._

_Love, Elena._

He really wanted to just throw on a few clothes and rush after her… but he knew from experience that that wouldn't end well. Also… he believed that Elena was smart enough to _really_ take no risks with Katherine, not just saying so.

So instead of acting like an overprotective boyfriend (which he probably still was but… this was Elena, and the girl had the tendency to get all self-sacrificial and suicidal. So fuck you very much, but he had a right to worry), he took a long, hot shower, dressed, and went down in search of breakfast.

The only thing he did find though, was his little brother, nursing a still steaming cup of coffee. After closer inspection, he came to the conclusion that Stefan had had a pretty rough night. Pale (or… paler than usual), dark rings under his eyes and a very bad case of bed head. It nearly looked like…

"Don't get me wrong Stefan, but you look like you're having the worst hangover in history."

His brother barely looked up from his coffee as he grunted some answer.

"What was that? I'm sorry, but I don't speak Caveman."

"I said, that's probably because I _am_ hung over."

"Yeah right… Stefan, you're a vampire. You _can't_ get a hangover."

Now his little brother finally looked up properly and – he had to give it to him. He did look miserable enough. But still, in over a hundred and forty years of trying, he never once managed to get drunk enough to get a proper hangover.

"Tell that to my fucking head. Whatever the stuff was he gave me, it did the damn trick."

Now he was just confused.

"Do us all a favor, and stop talking in riddles. Who gave you what? And for the record – did nobody ever tell you to _not_ take candy from strangers?"

Stefan tried to give him a pissed-off look; but is fell short because he winced in pain before he even had it fixed on his face.

"Elijah. I was talking about Elijah. We sat in the Grill, and then we went to the B&B he's staying at… filled our glasses with something. No idea what it was, but now I have a damn Marching Band rehearsing in my head."

Damon still wasn't all that much wiser… but at least he wouldn't get bored until Elena came back. It had always been fun to… well, make fun of Stefan. And what better way to do it, than to make as much noise as possible right now?

Grinning, he went to the fridge, got out the leftover fruit salad from the last day, and dumped it into the mixer. With a wicked grin he put the lid on it, and pushed the _On_ button.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Stefan wince in pain – again – and then sinking his head onto the table.

Oh yes, this was going to be one fun morning.

xoxoxoxoxo

Elena had left Damon asleep in his bed – again. And really, she would rather have slept in than be here but…. For some reason she had to come here.

So she pulled her thoughts away from Damon, needing every bit of concentration so the woman on the other side of the huge stone door couldn't manipulate her into doing something stupid. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the boulder aside and stepped into the tomb.

It smelled of mold and a little like old – _very_ old – books. She came to a stop in front of the woman that usually was her mirror image. Not so now. Katherine had turned into a dried up corpse weeks ago (standing were she was now, Elena realized that the old-books-smell came from the woman too. She made a grimace at that; but then she thought she would take dried-up-corpse over rotting-corpse every day).

Giving herself a mental shove, she lifted the other woman up, and leaned her against the old metal railings at the back wall. Then she took out the shackles and vervain soaked ropes she had brought in a bag (careful to only touch the ropes with the leather gloves she had brought too), and secured the other woman to the fence.

She wanted to speak to Katherine, not get her throat ripped out by her. After she was sure that her ancestor wouldn't be able to get free of her restraints, she uncapped a bottle full of blood and held it under the others nose.

It didn't take long for her to react. Her eyes opened slowly, making a sound as if someone scratched over sand. Then she forced her lips apart, just a few millimeters. But it was enough for the blood to get past and moments later, her skin began to gain color, the sunken in cheeks filling up again. When the bottle was empty, Katherine tried to sit up properly, only to realize that someone had bound her in chains and rope.

Looking up, she saw Elena standing above her, hands on her hips and a serious look on her face.

"Oh, look at that. The little kitten had grown claws. Do you feel good now? Powerful? Because let me tell you… binding me while I can't move, is everything _but_."

Instead of the furious look on her descendants face that she had been expecting, Elena shook her head in a mock-sad attitude.

"Can we skip the antagonistic comments and the threats – that are sure to come soon otherwise – and concentrate on the more important things here?"

"I wasn't aware that there _are_ important things for the two of us to discuss."

Nodding her head, Elena sat down in front of Katherine, studying her face as if she was searching for differences in their appearance she wouldn't find.

"But then again, it's not as if you're up to date recently, are you? So I'm going to tell you what's happened since you've been locked in here and then… well. Then we'll see."

Elena had no idea why she came here in the first place… just, with all the talk about descendants and ancestors… family as a whole, she couldn't shake the feeling that even though not many of her family were left… there still were a few.

Uncle John, Jeremy, Aunt Jenna, Isobel… and Katherine. As much as she didn't like (or outright hated) most of them (with the exception of Jeremy and Jenna), they where all she had left to her blood. So she had the urge to come here, to tell Katherine what was happening outside of the tomb. And she had this little spark of hope that, after Klaus was finally out of all of their ways, that Katherine wouldn't be _as much_ of a heartless bitch.

She told Katherine everything – letting her sip on another bottle of blood every once in a while – and had the first somewhat civilized conversation with the other Doppelganger.

"So… you're a vampire, and you're housing the soul of the first Petrova Doppelganger. And Damon is human and… Stefan gave you up willingly?"

"You have forgotten the part where Elijah is the husband of said first Doppelganger but… yeah, that about sums it up."

For the first time since she met Katherine, she actually looked honestly confused.

"Well that's… fucked up. Really, no other word for it."

Elena just nodded – for once they agreed on something.

"So, now that we chatted a little and became all buddy-buddy… care to tell me what you want from me?"

And there she went again, acting like the queen bitch.

"Nothing. I just felt the need to tell you what has been going on. I don't know why."

Shrugging Elena came to her feet and pulled a wicked looking knife out of her bag. Katherine's eyes widened slightly as she knelt down in front of her, knife pointing in her direction. But instead of cutting her flesh, with a few quick strokes the ropes fell down around her, leaving only the shackles. Then Elena gave her a little key and came to her feet.

"The key is to the shackles – you'll excuse if I don't free you from them myself. I'm not suicidal after all. I'm leaving the rest of the blood I brought… make good use of it, I won't be back all that soon."

And with that, Elena was out of the tomb and Katherine heard as she pushed the boulder back into place. She opened the shackles, slightly surprised that Elena really had left her the right key, and came to her feet. Something was not quite right about the story that her descendant had told her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Something was missing. But if she had anything in the world right then, it was time to think.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Done already, sorry. I know it was a little bit shorter than usual, but it was better than nothing. At least, I think so – just let me know if you think otherwise. I love my reviews, you know it^^.

Oh and, btw… only a little over two weeks until the next Season is FINALLY airing! Whoop!

Reviews are love people!

So long,

Zora


	15. Night comes calling

Why… look at that. That unfaithful thing of a writer has updated her story!

I am sooo sorry for the long wait… it's just, my Muse has kinda lost interesting for this story for awhile, and because of that I wasn't able to write on this. BUT, to repay you, this chapter is a little longer. But I think I'll wrap this story up in the next three or four chapters… There just isn't much left for me to do with it, it feels like it's coming to an end!

Well anyway… Thank you, my dear AVECIA, for the great beta job you always do.

And a big thanks to all my lovely readers and reviewers as well, you are AWESOME!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing 'bout TVD; I just mess with them just because it's so much fun!

Now, on with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It had been suspiciously peaceful the last four days. No one had disappeared in the middle of the night (or… well, had sneaked off to visit an evil vampire ancestor), and there had been no mysterious dream walks, or dramatic declarations. Everything was just… normal. Which was creepy, confusing and very much _not_ normal in and of itself. Because really, when had been the last time when there were no S.O.S phone calls or messages, and no life-and-death situations?

So when suddenly, in the middle of the day, the sky began to darken to a midnight-blue color, faint thunder was heard and the electricity gave out? There was a collective sigh of relief in the Boarding House because hey, they had not been swept away into Twilight Zone after all. Everyone had been gathered in the house to… well. They had been there, and that's all Damon knew, really. Honestly, he had cared more about the fact the Elena had had no problem in showing her affections for him, even in front of her friends and family. He had thought that he would grow accustomed to it, that it would stop being a novelty but… he had just been kidding himself in the end. He had waited for over a century and a half for someone to love him back just as strong as he loved them. So now it would probably take some time for him to get used to the fact that he had finally found that someone.

He shook his head once – as nice as it was to think about his love-life, he probably should concentrate on the fact that night had fallen outside.

As the others were busy staring outside the big windows, and not really trying to find out what was happening, he went to the cords holding the curtains aside, and made short work of the sight. Of course now it was pitch black inside the room… yeah, he should have thought of _that_ sooner. But whatever; he shouldn't be the only one with a working brain in here.

And just as he thought that, the witch made herself helpful for once, and made the fireplace roar to life. Not as good as working electricity, but it was at least something.

"So… has anyone an idea _what the fuck just happened_?"

Damon had to rub his ears because of Caroline's screech – and was thankful that he didn't have his usual good hearing. And judging by the grimace on Elenas face, she wished the exact opposite. Well, Lady Luck was a capricious bitch. Better to learn that lesson sooner, rather than later. He was just about to tell Caroline that he knew just as much as she did, as a booming voice filled every corner of the house.

"_Come out, come out, wherever you are."_

It was said in that typical sing-song that children use while playing hide and seek… only this was not a child's voice, but that of a grown man. Which made it creepy, rather than playful.

"_Come on, my sweet little Doppelganger. I know that you are in this house; know that you're with Elijah."_

At that, everyone turned to the man in question and one look into his face confirmed what they all thought: Klaus has arrived.

"_I promise you if you come to me willingly, I will let everyone else in there live. Well… mostly everyone. Elijah _has_ to die, no matter what."_

As Damon looked at Elena, he saw that her expression distinctly lacked any fear. At all. He would be concerned about that – it was unhealthy not to fear a centuries old vampire, out to kill her. But he couldn't say anything, because Klaus obviously liked to hear himself talk.

"_I give you until midnight. Meet me at Wickery Bridge, or else suffer the consequences of your disobedience."_

With the last word, the lights flickered back on, and upon drawing the curtains open again, it was clear that whatever magic Klaus had used, he was done for the moment; the sky was a lovely light blue again, the sun bright in the sky.

As he turned around again, Elena still didn't show fear; though there was a sadness on her face that he couldn't quite explain. As if she was regretting something… and he had no idea what it might be.

Until she sped in front of him and kissed him for all he was worth.

"I'm so sorry… I really wish that we could've had more time."

Just as he was about to roll his eyes and tell her that they would _have_ more time; that she shouldn't be so melodramatic, that they would find a way out of this, as always… she caressed the side of his face and then sped away. He heard the front door close, and then everything was silent. They all stared at each other, not quite comprehending what was going on.

So Caroline voiced what everyone was thinking, repeating her words from only moments before. Only this time, there was no screech; in fact, her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Ok seriously, does _anyone_ know what the fuck just happened?"

Yeah, he would like to know _that_, too.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

As Elena sped through the woods at the fastest pace she could manage, tears fell out of her eyes, only to be quickly swept away by the wind whipping past her.

She reached the old tomb in record time. Coming to a stop in front of it, she took a deep breath and wiped the lingering wetness from her eyes. She was thankful for how quick her body healed itself… she really would have hated to confront the other woman with red, puffy eyes. Showing weakness in a moment like this was a big no-go.

After she had pulled herself together as much as she could, she descended down into the antechamber, pushed the bolder aside again, and made her way inside. She found Katherine in the same room she had left her in, lying only half conscious on the altar.

She bit into her own wrist and held it to the others lips – in her hurry earlier, she hadn't thought to bring blood bags, so this would have to do for now.

Katherine – for once – didn't say a word, just drank greedily until Elena pulled her wrist free, watching as it healed as if on fast forward. Sitting up, her ancestor looked at her questioning, not having expected to see her anytime soon again. Forgoing any and all Smalltalk and witty banter, she cut straight to the topic at hand.

"Klaus is in town."

And just like that, the cool demeanor fell from the others face, replaced by disbelief and fear in equal measures.

"You're kidding, right? _Please_ tell me you're kidding."

She rushed forward, her hands gripping Elena's shoulders in a grip that would have usually crushed her bones to dust.

"We're all _doomed_ if you're not trying to get a rise out of me!"

And there it was… the humanity she knew must exist somewhere in the woman. Because there were not all that many things that showed human feelings as well as fear (love, amongst them). It was because of that surprising show of feelings, that she felt bad for shaking her head, and gingerly taking Katherine's hands off her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Katherine… god, if you only knew _how_ sorry… but I'm telling the truth."

As she watched, the vampires' posture waivered, and she leaned heavily against the altar at her back. All fight was suddenly gone from her, and for the first time ever, Elena could see how old she really was. Old, and weary of running away, always looking over her shoulders, always hiding in the shadows. And she felt sorry for her Doppelganger; because no matter what she had done in her unlife, it would have never gotten to this point if not for the Original chasing after her. So as Katherine hung her head and began to tremble, Elena squared her shoulders and set her lips into a thin line.

"Don't worry though… he doesn't know that you're here, and I won't tell him. In fact, after tonight, you'll never have to worry about him again. I just came to tell you a few things you'll need to know."

Katherine shifted her head upwards slightly; just enough so she could look into her face. Not much, but at least she had her attention.

"Klaus doesn't know that I'm not human right now. He also doesn't know that Alyona is with me – or that she knows how to kill him… for good. So when I arrive where he wants to meet, I'll have him by surprise, and it will be over before he even knows what's happening."

The other woman looked more than a little skeptical at her words – no wonder, really; she had been running from the man for centuries. And in the same amount that people usually feared _her_, she had had her nightmares about ever crossing paths with Old One again.

"So, if your plan is so foolproof, why come here and waste your time?"

Regret and longing flittered over Elenas features for just a moment, and instantly the older of them knew that something about this plan was going to cause problems.

"Well… because even though nobody will have to fear Klaus again… nobody will see me alive again, either. After all, every great plan has its downside and every battle its causalities, right?"

Seeing that Katherine wasn't yet to understand what she was saying she, once again, told her a story.

_**Flashback**_

_She had fallen asleep after enjoying the peace with Damon – meaning that they would need to change the sheets in the morning, and probably would have to go shopping for new clothes very soon (hey, it's certainly not _her_ fault that shirts ripped so easily… and she was pretty sure that jeans had been of a stronger material some 30 years or so ago…). So when she opened her eyes and all she saw was pitch-black darkness, she knew that her downtime was probably officially over._

_And, sure enough, a moment later Alyona materialized in front of her; standing tall and looking regal, as always._

"_Good evening, Elena."_

_Rolling her eyes, Elena let out a heavy, long-suffering sigh._

"_Really? You want to waste time on pleasantries? Is that some kind of inherited illness in our bloodline or something? Because Katherine seems to be fond of chit-chat, too…. And see? Now even __I __am starting with it! Whatever, just… tell me what this is about. Because I'm sure that you didn't pull me in here to exchange greetings."_

_Nodding her head once, Alyona took her by her word, and explained herself._

"_I haven't been entirely honest with you, as of now."_

_It was Elena's time to nod now – she had expected something like that. Because _nothing_ ever went smooth and without any trouble._

"_So… does that mean you don't know how to end Klaus?"_

"_Oh, on the contrary. I do know how to go about ending his existence. It's just… not without consequences, doing so."_

_As Elena didn't say anything to that, Alyona decided that it would be best to just continue, and get it all out._

"_You see… Klaus, Elijah and I are bound to each other. Ze'ev hadn't been part of that bond – he had only been made into the first werewolf just to be a bother to Klaus, nothing else. But… it had been decided by Oenone that, when the time comes to get revenge on him, that my husband and I had to take our final bows, too. But, as I will be in your body when I kill him, you'll…"_

_Alyona choked up then, averting her eyes. She looked genuinely troubled by what she was telling – so Elena took it upon herself to finish her words._

"…_die. When Klaus dies, so will Elijah, you and… I. Right?"_

_Alyona only had a sad nod for her, not yet being able to put her thoughts and feelings into words. Elena on the other hand, was suddenly very calm. It was as if the pieces to a formerly unsolvable puzzle fell into place._

"_That's why Elijah had looked so damn guilty recently, isn't it? He knew?"_

"… _yes, I suppose he knew. He had always been good at realizing certain truths. And he had had a long time to hone this ability."_

_Elena wanted to say something, _any_thing to break the suddenly thick atmosphere. But she really couldn't think of anything to make this better._

Hey, it's okay… we're just going to die, all three of us. No big… it's not as if my whole life wasn't still in front of me. And what if I just now found true love? Better to have loved and lost, than to never have at all. Also… Jeremy had Bonnie now, he won't mind to lose his last relative. And Damon got over Katherine not loving him, so he'll surely be alright….

_Shaking her head upon her sarcastic thoughts (she really had spent too much time with Damon…) she tried to bring order to her mind again._

"_I won't say that it's alright… because it's really not. Because I _really_ don't want to die. But… it might be worth it, I think. I mean… Klaus had been terrorizing the world for long enough so… I think… no, I _know_ that I won't stop you from doing what needs to be done."_

_Alyona had tears running down her cheeks now; she was choked up too, so she just stepped forward and gathered Elena in a tight hug to express how grateful she was._

_And whilst still in her hug, Elena saw the blackness around her waver, and knew that she was waking up. Alyona knew it too, but she didn't let go of her. So as she drifted from asleep to awake, a soft, female pair of arms was replaced by the strong ones of Damon._

_She had been lying awake the rest of the night, just basking in the feel of those arms around her, memorizing every feeling, every sound; hoping all the while that there was some life-after-death, where she could relive those memories over and over and over again, for all eternity._

_**End of Flashback**_

Standing across from each other, neither Elena nor Katherine said anything at first. They just stood there, studying their mirror image, wondering if anyone up there was pulling the strings to this macabre play.

"So… you came here to tell me you're going on a suicide mission… why, exactly?"

If at a loss for words, hide behind sarcasm and cruel wit. Elena knew the tactic, too – she had seen it one too many times on Damon to _not_ recognize it for what it was.

"Because Elijah will be dead too, meaning you'll be able to leave this place. And… Klaus will no longer be a concern to you. I'm freeing you. Well… Alyona is freeing you, but I'll be paying the price just as much. So I want to ask a favor of you."

For a moment Katherine decided to tell her descendent where to shove it… but she was tired of pretending to have no heart _at all_. It was hard and cold most of the time, sure. But she still had some shred of humanity left… she could just as well show it. Wouldn't matter anyway, because the girl wouldn't be around to tell anyone.

"Not that I'm suddenly a Good Samaritan or anything but… just out of curiosity: what's this favor."

"I want you to… take care of Damon. I know you're in love with _Stefan_ but; I'm pretty sure you have at least _some_ feelings for Damon too. So… just make sure he doesn't go all self destructive and homicidal again. Please?"

The girl had nearly succeeded to make _her_ speechless. Because, really? She was about to die and asked her to _take care of Damon_? Unbelievable… but then again, Damon was in love with her – and she loved him in turn – so they had to have _some_thing in common. It seemed that that thing was to love beyond everything. So Katherine did something she thought she'd _never_ do again – the nice thing.

"Alright. For my freedom, I guess I can do this much. But only because you're probably stubborn enough to haunt me from the grave, otherwise."

Well, nice for her standards, anyway.

And with a quick _thank you_ smile and a wave over her shoulder, Elena left. She had to do some other things before midnight rolled around.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Done for now! See? It's been a LITTLE longer than my usual chapters. I really hope you like this chapter – I had fun writing it, that's for sure!

So now it's your turn, PLEASE R&R – reviews are love, people!

So long,

Zora


	16. Dark Moon

Well, I'm back again! Right away: after this chapter, there will only be one left, I think. At least, that's what I'm planning!

As always, a huge thanks to AVECIA, my dear beta reader. Thanks for the awesome work! Also – thank you, my dear readers and especially reviewers; You always make my day!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything 'bout TVD, I just mess with them for fun!

Now, on with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Elena let out a drawn-out sigh as she tried to enjoy the sight. She had taken a walk through the woods, and finally hiked up the trail that ran down beside a waterfall. The sun was just beginning to set now, and even though it was beautiful, she couldn't quite bring herself to get lost in the moment.

So she closed her eyes, and listened into herself, trying to find the place Alyona had taken for the time being.

"_You can come out now. I'm done here."_

There was a feeling near her heart, as if butterflies spread their wings, before she heard the voice of the other woman.

"_Are you sure? You have time yet… don't you want to take as much as you can with you?"_

Elena thought for a moment, but in reality it wasn't even necessary. There was nothing here she would absolutely _need_ to see before she went to her own funeral. If she had a choice, she would be with Bonnie and Caroline, having a few hours of "girl time". Or she would spend time with Jeremy, make sure that he'd be okay without her. And then, she would take Damon by his hand, lead him up to his room, and spend her last hours on earth with the man who owned her heart. But as things were… no, she had no desire to stand on top of a waterfall and watch the sun go down. It was rather depressing, really. Like an omen or something.

"_I am sure, yes. There is nothing left here for me now."_

"_Very well."_

And with that, Elena's world shifted on its axis and a second later got pulled back straight. Only then, she was no longer in control of her own body. It wasn't like other times when Alyona took over control. She wasn't floating in nothingness. No, this time she could actually see and hear everything. But she couldn't feel a thing, and after trying to lift her hand, she found out that she had lost control, too.

And then abruptly, the scene began to change as Alyona made her way back down the path, and through the woods. Soon, they were on the familiar path through the Lockwood property; they came to a stop in front of the old slave quarters, and went down into its moist, dark depths. They halted in front of a wall – a wall that was missing quite a few bricks, showing the entrance to a tunnel. It didn't look as if it was made by human hand; the stones looked natural still, no signs that any tools had been used. The only thing that was obviously _not_ natural had been the wall in front of it.

They only halted for a short moment, long enough for Alyona to take a deep breath, and then walk through the gap in the wall, and down the tunnel.

There was some sort of natural light in there, as if the stones themselves gave off light; Elena would've thought of it as beautiful, if the situation itself wouldn't have been so much of a downer.

But as she couldn't change anything now, she just watched in a weird detachment, not allowing herself to feel much at all. After a few minutes of walking, the tunnel forked into two paths – they took the right one. Walking around a bend (and over the last remnants of some wooden spears – maybe an old trap?) they reached a cave; and in the middle of it, his eyes fixed on something on the walls, was Elijah.

As they stepped into the cave, he acknowledged them by nodding his head once, before he trained his eyes back on the walls. As Alyona followed his line of sight, Elena could see what he had been studying. There where drawings on the wall. Obviously old ones. It reminded Elena of the pictures of Lascaux she'd seen in history class a few years ago.

She wanted to ask what they were about, or how they had known they'd be here – but then she remembered she couldn't do anything but watch now. But as if reading her mind (which was probably exactly what she was doing) Alyona answered her unspoken question anyway.

"What you see here, is our history. Paris, Menelaus, and mine. Menelaus… _Elijah_, lived here in these woods, many centuries ago. Long before there was a town; even long before they called this land the New World, or the Vikings tried to settle here. I watched from afar – neither here, nor there – as he gave his story to the stones. After all, they where here long before he was, and would still be here after he had left."

Elijah watched Alyona while she talked; he watched her with this same soft, loving, longing expression she knew from Damon's features when he watched _her_. So much love, that it nearly ripped her in two, knowing that it would be over before the sun would rise again. She wanted to laugh, cry and scream altogether at the one time. When had her life turned into a spin-off of some Mystery TV show?

She wished she could turn back time and just… just what? Have her parents back, be "fun Elena" who only cared about what other people thought about her, and where the next party would be? Never to meet Damon, never know what it meant when her heart took flight?

No. No matter what, no matter that there would be no tomorrow for her, she wouldn't trade him for a _thousand_ happy endings.

Elijah and Alyona were talking now, but Elena tried her best to tune them out. Most likely, they were trying to have their own last moment together, to say their own goodbyes. But she didn't quite succeed, and she really hated to see someone else's moments, if she couldn't have her own.

"_Alyona? Can you… tuck me away again? You know, like you did the other times. So I won't hear or see what you do?"_

For a moment Elena thought she wouldn't get a response, but luckily she did.

"_I thought you might want to see as much as you can, before you leave this world."_

"_Well… not right now, no. Just… get me to that place I was the other times for now. And when you go and meet up with Klaus, get me out again. Wouldn't want to miss my own last bow."_

Alyona didn't answer, but she did as asked. Seconds later, Elena was safely floating in the dark, soothing nothingness again.

Xoxoxoxoxoxxoxo

Damon paced back and forth, already in danger of ruining the hardwood floor. He couldn't be bothered to spare even a shred of a thought for a damn _floor_, while Elena was out there, doing god knows what.

It didn't help in the least that Elena's words, just before she had disappeared, had sounded like a fucking _Good Bye_. Or that Elijah had vanished soon afterwards, not even bothering to say anything at all.

"Come on Damon. Sit down already. You're not helping anyone by making us dizzy."

He waved Alaric's words away with a flick of his hand, not really caring what the man had to say right now. The man might be his friend, but he had other things on his mind than sparing his _feelings_, or something like that.

"What the hell does she think she's doing? Just because that woman in her thinks she knows how to end Klaus… fuck!"

And there went one perfectly fine side table. It shouldn't have been standing in his way, really. Now it would be used for firewood. Or for a few stakes – one never knew what would be needed sooner in this house.

"She's going to be alright Damon. Really. I mean… Alyona said she knew how to kill Klaus. And Elena trusted her and… I think Elijah will be there, too."

He rolled his eyes at Caroline – trust Vampire Barbie to look at the situation in a 'glass half full' way.

"Blondie, we're not in Paris. The light here is not _pink_. Go and watch TV – there you can watch as the Chauffeur's daughter gets her happily-ever-after with the Billionaire. _This_ is real life."

The women in the room all shared a secret look – did Damon really just make a reference to _that_ movie? – while the men decided they really didn't want to know what was going on.

"Also… yeah, Elijah is going to be there, sure. As will we – _right_?"

Damon said the last word with a very distinctive sound to it. A sound that promised: just _dare_ you to not show, and bear the consequences.

A round of thick swallows and quick nods followed. Satisfied for the time being, Damon resumed his pacing. What on earth could he _do_ until midnight arrived and he had to be at Wickery Bridge?

Xoxoxoxoxoxox

"Menelaus, my love… I think you stared at these paintings long enough. Don't you want to take me into your arms?"

Alyonas words were quiet, nearly enough so even he couldn't quite discern them. But there were no other sounds in these caves, so he just about made them out.

Sighing, he turned to his wife; taking in her proud stance, the way she held her shoulders, or how her head was tipped to the side just so. No matter how many women had stolen her face over the centuries, he had always known that it wasn't _her_. Elena had been the one to come closest – which was the reason that Alyona had been able to take root in her, after all – but still not quite _there_.

For him, his wife was unique – just like Elena probably was for Damon. He would recognize her out of thousands of Doppelgangers, no matter what. But right now, he had trouble even looking at her.

As much as he had loved her, all his life… he had lived a million times longer with_out_ her, than he had _with_ her. And it had hurt, _so much_. To go on, and on, all this time, never having her there beside him. And now, they were about to do the same thing to another man. Just because one man couldn't live with the fact that he couldn't always get what he wanted, and because _he_ decided that it was worth an entire _war_ to get back what he thought of as his.

Now there were vampires and werewolves out there – witches all over the world constantly fought to keep the balance of nature intact, because _one_ had tipped the scale over, so long ago. So much chaos, and all born out of love.

With a sad shake of his head, he stepped closer and did as she had asked.

"Of course I want to. It's just I…"

"You have regrets. You feel bad that our love is at fault for destroying another one. You wish you could've let me go as there was still a chance to."

Smiling, he kissed the top of her head. As always, she knew exactly what he meant, even if he couldn't find the words himself.

"Yes. Do you think… do you think it was worth it?"

She took one step back, intertwined their hands, and looked at him deep into the eyes.

"Even one second with you, has been worth all the time apart. Even a minute… is worth _everything_ to me. Of course I feel bad for Elena and Damon. I do. But you are the one I love; you are the one who always held my heart. I can't regret that you fought for me, that you didn't want to let me go. I'm just not able to. If that makes me a bad person, so be it. I'll go to hell and gladly burn for eternity."

Blinking away tears, he surged forward and captured her lips with his, finally feeling complete again. Screw fate, revenge and everything else. He had only hours left in this world – he might as well take advantage of them, and be one with his wife one final time.

Xoxoxoxoxo

Hours later – they only had a little over half an hour left until midnight would strike, they were lying entangled with each other, their clothes building a makeshift sheet under them.

Alyona kept on drawing lazy circles on his chest, following old, faint scars; scars, that were still left from when he was human. No injury – no matter how severe – had left a mark on him since his heart stopped beating. Halting over one that reached all the way from just under his ribcage to his right hip, she smiled faintly.

"I remember that one. It was at this tournament, before we married. You wanted to impress me, and kept glancing at me, even though you should have concentrated on your opponent."

His lips turned up into a dreamy smile as he, too, remembered.

"I kept on hoping you would give me a sign that I was succeeding with impressing you. But you just looked bored half to death!"

She chuckled, before she kept on retelling.

"Yes – I tried to act all high and mighty, because that's what my father told me to do. Either way… the one time you really should have kept your eyes on the other man, you once again looked at me, and in the next instant, his sword swung into this huge arch. But all I saw was the red that glistened on the tip of his sword, and the way you stumbled before you caught yourself and ended him. And then you just fainted."

His face changed from amused to wistful then.

"The next time I opened my eyes, you were leaning over me, and you finally showed something else than cool boredom."

She slapped his chest once and rolled her eyes before she resumed talking.

"Well of course. I was worried out of my mind! I loved you from the moment I saw you… and I haven't stopped since then."

He smiled up at her, cupped her cheek in his broad hand, and leaned up to kiss her again. And then, he schooled his face into a serious mask and sat up, taking her with him.

"It's time to go, isn't it?"

"Yes, my Queen. I fear it is. We should… dress ourselves, and be on our way."

Nodding once, she got up, and did as he told her to. When they were done, they stood in front of each other, righting the last piece of cloth out of place, and making sure that their hair didn't look like they just stumbled out of bed. Then their clasped each other's hand, and exited the cave, and soon after the slave quarters, too.

They looked up at the same time, smiling as they saw that tonight would be a dark moon. In all the chaos that was brought by her arrival in Elenas body, they had missed the waning moon – and with it the chance to turn Elena back human.

_Well then, dark moon- may you bring us justice, once and for all._

With that thought, Alyona let Elena out of the dark recesses of her mind, so she would be able to watch her last moments on earth, and then they made their way to Wickery Bridge.

Xoxoxoxoxo

Well, done for today! So… tell me, who did get the movie-reference? Uhm now… I don't have much to say, other than I haven't decided if there will be a happy end or not. Now it's your turn though – please tell me what you thing about this chapter. Just click on the little button below and tell me; after all, reviews are love!

So long,

Zora


	17. Swan Song

I'm nearly afraid to upload this here… there hasn't been any update to this story so long *sigh*. I'm really so sorry! But, you see… my brain just couldn't produce anything useful. I had radiation and then surgery (although, very minor)… I kept on thinking "I just HAVE to write on" but it was no use. BUT, I'm mostly alright now, so I actually managed to get a chapter done. It's the last one too – well, there will be an epilogue still, because the ending is VERY open right now… but you'll read that yourselves^^.

As always, a biiiiig THANK YOU to Avecia, my dear beta-reader; I couldn't do this nearly so well without your help! And of course to all of you who read (and especially reviewed!) this story. You are the BEST.

Disclaimer: You know the shtick – I don't own a thing 'bout TVD. I only play with them, 'cause it's soooo much fun!

Now, on with it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

_With that thought, Alyona let Elena out of the dark recesses of her mind, so she would be able to watch her last moments on earth, and then they made their way to Wickery Bridge._

…..

They didn't even have to wait; upon their arrival, they saw a lone figure already waiting for them, his hands intertwined behind his back, head held high and posture a mix of regal and predatory. _Klaus_.

Elena knew that it wasn't his real name, but she never called Elijah by the name he had in his human life either... for her, those two were, and always would be, Klaus and Elijah. Original vampires; one a monster, the other not quite.

And Klaus _really_ was a monster. Sure, he looked human (and handsome) enough. But only on the outside, and if you didn't look too closely. Because if you did there was just… something, that made her skin crawl in the worst way imaginable.

Up close, it was even worse. His eyes held so many contradicting things, and all of them spelled her imminent death. They where deep and nearly hollow; empty of all emotion but a few sparse ones. Anger, hate and fatigue at the forefront. Jealousy too – that one she saw in the moments his eyes rested on Elijah. And still, he managed to remain so cold, his lips – his whole facial expression – cold like an arctic winter, with a cruel edge to it. Yes, he was a monster alright. And somehow this wolf in a sheep's skin scared her more than any nightmarish creature ever could.

She was so glad that Alyona had the reins of her body right now, because otherwise she might have bolted. She had thought that, after all this time being scared of him, of fighting everyone for the right to decide for herself, she would be prepared to die for her friends and her family. But reality could be a real bitch sometimes. Because she was scared out of her mind, even though she knew that it would soon be over; that soon, everyone she cared about would be safe, no worries of the supernatural kind left. And then the monster opened his mouth and spoke; spoke in gentle and polite tones, his accent heavily British. So much so like Elijah that it made her laugh out loud (or well… out loud in the recesses of her own mind that she occupied right now). She had a feeling that the guy would smile courteously even while he ripped your heart out. Literally.

"My dear Elijah… I see you brought me my Doppelganger. I must confess, I half thought that you might bail on me; that I would have to chase you down. I think we agree on the fact that it is so much more… practical for me that you chose to heed my word."

If she had a body of her own, Elenas jaw would have hit the floor right about now. Because, really? Everyone here knew that Klaus was going to kill Elijah and her… and he had the nerve to speak about what was more practical for _him_? Good god… the dictionary probably had Klaus' picture right beside "narcissism".

"Yes well… I grew tired of this game. The world has changed, and there is no room for us in it anymore. I decided it was well past the time that we settle this dispute once and for…"

Before Elijah could finish his sentence, Klaus blurred in front of him and buried an intricately carved stake through his heart. His eyes widened for a moment, then his skin turned ashen and he slumped to the ground. In seconds his body burst in flames, and soon nothing but a burned out husk was left of him. Elena felt her breath stuck in her throat – her real throat too, as Alyona tried to stifle the sob that wanted to burst free. The woman just saw her husband die. Still she made the effort to let Elena know that this stake is what they would need. That it was made out of the wood of the tree, growing right beside the Original Witch's house.

And Elena… well. Elijah had been somewhat of a friend, but more than that… he had also been the strongest vampire she had ever met. Certainly stronger than the Salvatore brothers, who weren't even two centuries old yet… but also, stronger than Katherine or Rose, who – by human standards – had been ancient.

And Klaus… just rolled his eyes, blurred forward and killed him. Like he was a goddamn fly on the wall. Fuck.

"Well my lovely, now we can talk without further disturbances. That man grew quite tiring after the first couple of centuries. I will never understand how anyone ever could stand his presence."

Alyona just blinked at him, trying hard not to show how hard this really was on her. She had to act like Elena would; afraid for her own life, sad about the end of a friend. Not though, like a woman who just lost the love of her life. So she took a deep breath, straightened to her full height, and locked her eyes on Klaus'.

"S…so… and what now? What do you want to do with me?"

He smiled at her (it might've been meant charming, but it came out like the grin a shark would give a flash of bright, no doubt razor sharp teeth right before he clamped down on you) and held out his arm for her to take.

"You're going to be my means to an end. Of course I know you're only a Doppelganger but… you are still mine. Mine to have, mine to control, and mine to use to make things right for me again. You see, I need your lifeblood, shed over the moonstone to free me of the sun's curse. Being protected of the sun is one thing… but it is still a danger. I need to be free of its curse. Only then can I start to mold the world back to its former glory."

And then Elena understood, finally. Klaus wasn't a monster at all. He was a man – a man that had once been obsessed over a woman, a man who wanted power over everything else… a man who had lost his mind, while he had waited centuries to get what he wanted. No monster, simply an insane mind.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Katherine knew the exact moment Elijah's existence had ended. Suddenly the overwhelming _need_ to stay in the tomb had vanished.

For a moment she thought about running away. To just leave Mystic Falls, the Salvatore Brothers and her promise to Elena behind. But then again… she had promised. And there might not be many _good_ characteristics about her, but she tended to keep her promises. And Elena was blood… and had been nice to her, when she really had no reason to be.

So she didn't run away, and she didn't wait for it all to blow over so she could keep her promise. For the first time since before she turned, she ran to the trouble, instead of away from it.

She only had to do a little detour beforehand.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Where the fuck _are_ they? The creepy disembodied voice said at Midnight, on Wickery Bridge. Well, we're on the Wickery Bridge, it's Midnight, and _no one is here_!"

"Captain Obvious, Caroline – Caroline, Captain Obvious. I see the two of you are well acquainted."

"Oh haha. You're real funny Jeremy. If I weren't so busy worrying about _your sister_, I might roll on the floor, laughing."

Damon just pinched the bridge of his nose and silently counted from ten down. Who knew, maybe it might stop him from murdering Vampire Barbie and Baby Gilbert.

"Oh, just shut the fuck up – both of you. We have other things to worry about than your bitching."

He looked up, the startled expression clear as day on his face. He never thought he would see the day on which he was thankful for Bonnie Bennett. Imagine that.

"Well, bravo. You stated the fact that you are quite apt at creating drama. Now, if you're done with that, how about we go and rescue that stupid little martyr."

They all blinked at the woman that had suddenly appeared only a few steps away from them. Katherine to save the day? Yeah, right.

"You want to save Elena? Sure thing, and I'm the Easter Bunny."

"Well then, hurry up and hop along. I don't think we have much time – and before you interrupt me: would you rather want question my motivations, or do you want her to live?"

Damon's features hardened instead of him actually giving a real answer, but his look gave him away anyway.

"Just what I thought. So stop being irritating and fucking _follow me_…. They're at Wickery Bridge by the way… the _old_ Wickery Bridge. You should have used your brains. Now come – we'll need the Bennett witch to save the Doppelganger."

With that, she stalked past them to the edge of the woods and disappeared in the brush. Damon didn't think long; as soon as he lost sight of her, he made up his mind and decided it was better to follow her… nothing could be worse than stand around and do nothing. Even if she led them straight into a trap… still better than to not even try.

And as Damon followed the path Katherine had taken, the others went after him, too.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Alyona – and Elena in turn, too – had listened to Klaus' rambling for a good ten minutes now. He was going on about how he would restore the worlds' former glorious days; true warriors, real kings and all the things only known from historical movies and books. And both of them started to lose their patience.

"… and soon it will be just as I remember everything to be and you will be…"

"_Enough_ already! I am so very tired of you and your self-importance. It was ridiculous the first time around, and it hasn't gotten any better since!"

The man blinked owlishly at her – them – seemingly not able to comprehend that anyone would find something wrong about his greatness.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say? Because it sounded as if you were opposing me, speaking up in front of your superior."

Rolling her eyes, Alyona stepped forward, invading his personal space.

"Listen closely. Listen, and tell me what you hear around us. Humor me."

He seemed conflicted, but finally decided to do just what she asked; after all, he had forever at his disposal.

"The river, and running over it the creaking of this bridge. Nocturnal animals, roaming around in search of food. The wind in the trees… care to tell me what this is good for?"

And then she laughed at him.

"Oh god, you really are so conceited that you don't even see what is _right_ in front of your eyes. Do I act like a scared little human, fearing the thing even _monsters_ have nightmares about? Or for that matter, do I seem _human_ to you? The only sounds here are coming from the woods surrounding us, and from our voices. No heartbeat from either of us. You're so self-absorbed that you don't even realize that the Doppelganger has lost her use for you. She's a vampire. Dead meat, for all the spell on the stone cares. And she was the last in her line. You _lost_."

As she stepped back again, she could see the moment he realized clearly edged on his face; how it hardened even further, and how his eyes came alight – and then blood red – with fury.

"_You! _You; how…. _How_?"

So angry, that he couldn't even form a coherent sentence anymore. What once had been love – _obsession_ – on his part, had turned to hate over an eternity spent alone. And that was exactly what she had been counting on. While he still tried to find an answer to all this, she calmly went to her husband's corpse and pulled the stake – slightly charred but still very much intact – out of him. And snapped it into two pieces of the same size.

"What do you want with that stake, woman. Don't you know that I can't be killed? Many have tried, but I always come back again. Come on, go ahead and try!"

Seemingly he had overcome his disbelief and was firmly back on his high horse.

"With pleasure!"

And she blurred in front of him, slamming one half of the stake where it belonged.

Klaus just gave her a patronizing grin and made no move to remove the stake.

_Good_.

But then, just as she was about to raise the second half to plunge it home too, there was noise at the edge of the clearing and then they weren't alone anymore.

She turned around and saw first the other Doppelganger and then Damon rushing out of the undergrowth… closely followed by the rest of Elena's dysfunctional family. Alyona heard Elena scream deep inside of her - louder even than the witch's incessant chanting - heard the anguish in her voice. She knew that the girl hadn't wanted them to see this. But she was so close to the end. She was so close to finally finding her peace… she couldn't stop now.

She sent a silent apology inside and then turned around to face Damon.

"I am sorry. She wanted to stay with you… she would, if there was a choice."

And then, before Klaus had the chance to realize that he really was about to die – for real – she ended it. The wood pierced skin, muscle and bone, and found its rest deep in her heart.

She heard Elena scream again, felt her trying to get out, to say something, anything to make it better for Damon… but there wasn't any time left. The world grew dark around them, and then, there was nothing. The first time in centuries, there was nothing she could see. And the last thing she heard was something she would never be able to describe.

It wasn't the scream of a human, nor was it the wail of an animal. It was a broken soul, a shattered heart, mourning its other half. It was Damon, as he saw Elenas body collapsing in a boneless heap, skin rapidly taking on that hideous pallor he would never forget after this.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

And that's IT! Nah, just kidding. I already told you there will be an epilogue. But I need many, maaaany reviews so I can decide whether this story will have a sad, or a happy ending. Nothing decided yet, so click on the little button below and tell me what you'd rather read (also, please tell me if you liked that chapter, hehe)!

So long,

Zora


	18. Epilogue

Would you look at that… I finally managed to give you guys and Epilogue! I'm really sorry it took me so fucking long but… well. I have no excuses (well I do, but I feel like all I did these past few chapters was making excuses why I couldn't update, so I won't even start this time). Either way, here it is, the very last part of this story. As always – thanks, my dear AVECIA for taking time she really doesn't have, just for this story. And to my lovely readers and reviewers, because you always make my day!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing 'bout TVD, I just mess with them for a little fun.

Now, on with it!

_xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_

_It wasn't the scream of a human, nor was it the wail of an animal. It was a broken soul, a shattered heart, mourning its other half. It was Damon, as he saw Elenas body collapsing in a boneless heap, skin rapidly taking on that hideous pallor he would never forget after this…._

As Elena hit the ground, he felt the breath in his lungs and all his warmth leaving his body. First hethought it might just be shock or heartbreak… but then his heart stuttered to a stop and the world grew sharp around him, just as every smell and sound and _feeling_ multiplied a hundredfold.

For a moment he just stood there, wondering about the fucking humor of this universe. Then he rushed over to where Elena was lying and, sure enough, her skin had lost its grey hue and the veins sticking out in stark relief on her face.

But there still was no sound coming from her; no whistling of air as she breathed in and out, no heartbeat and not the sound of her blood rushing through her veins.

She was still dead – the permanent kind.

He sank to his knees and cradled her to his chest; clutching her close as if it was all it would take to make her start to blink, instead of having her eyes sightlessly turned upwards.

But she stayed still and unresponsive, the wound where the stake pierced her not healing.

Vaguely he registered the tiny droplets landing on her cheeks, making it seem as if she were crying (ignoring the fact that it was him doing so). Gone… how could she be just _gone_? They had fought for months; fought to stay alive, to find a way to protect her and to end the Original. There was meant to be a fight – lots of blood (preferably his or his brothers… maybe Caroline's, seeing as she could heal just as fast as them), swearing and overall chaos. But in the end, they would have won; the bad guy dead, and everyone else just _fine_. That's the way the stories go – the bad guy loses everything, and the good guys come out on the winning end. Not like this. Not with the tragic, martyr of a heroine _dead_.

And then… something. A voice, whispering, calling to him… or for him? He looked up, listening to the world around him again, but there was no sound – well, at least none other than the woods by night, and the sniffling and quiet sobbing of Elena's friends.

But still he could hear something just… not with his ears. Not with his mind either; not exactly (and he certainly knew how that would sound, he knew witches, and the creepy, weird telepathy thing they could do) at least.

As he looked down at Elena again, she was still in the same state as before. Still dead, eyes still unseeing, no healing happening. But she didn't feel as… empty as before. Then, quite suddenly, he felt something crash against his chest, knocking him over backwards (and considering that Elena was situated in his lap, that made for quite an uncomfortable setting).

He sat back up again, struggling a little to do so… and neither he nor Elena were on that wretched clearing anymore. They were … nowhere? Or had he simply turned blind and deaf? No, not possible either; he was still able to see Elena, only everything else was black. And as he heard something clear it's throat behind him, he knew that he wasn't deaf either. Turning slightly around he looked straight at Elijah and… well, probably Alyona.

He sat up straighter then, and tried to muster up some sort of feeling – anger, at the very least – but he was empty. Elena was gone, taking him with her, and now there was nothing left to fuel an emotion so strong. So, as lashing out wasn't happening, first things first…

"Where are we? I mean, I'm pretty sure the two of _you_ are dead… and so is Ele… so is she. So if this is… the afterlife or whatever else, what am _I_ doing here? I really think I would remember dying."

Elijah didn't say anything… just laid his arm on his wife's shoulder, squeezed it once and pressed a kiss to her temple. Then he gave him a tiny wave, and vanished. Alyona then walked over to him and sat down opposite him and Elena.

"To answer one of your questions… no, you didn't die. But you where holding on to Elena when we summoned her here, so you somehow got drawn in with her. Your physical bodies – both of them – are still on that clearing, still sitting in the very same position as before, even. It's just your… well, soul I guess… that's been brought here. And as for _where_ we are….. I don't know exactly myself. Somewhere in-between I guess. It's where I usually communicated with Elena… it's where I stayed all those years, just watching my Doppelgangers, and waiting for the right one. It's neither here nor there, just someplace where both the living, and the dead can both just be together. Well, at least for a while – those still alive have to leave sooner or later, because their body can't exist without them for too long. That's the reason we have to hurry this up a little… I can't keep you here indefinitely, or your body starts to think it really _is_ dead and… well, dies."

He blinked at her a few times… _boy_, could this woman talk. She was royalty though; it fitted, that she might like to listen to her own voice. Sighing he left his wayward thoughts behind, and came back to their little chat.

"Hurry _what_ up, exactly. Klaus is dead, so are you and the hubby; so's the woman I love. So just run along already and get the hell out of my face. You've won – congratulations, may your victory taste as sweet as it's bitter for me. Whatever. Just leave, and let me do the same."

He sounded old and weary, and he knew it, too. At this moment, every one of his one-hundred-and-seventy-something years of his existence could be heard in his voice. He also didn't care; actually, he just wanted to leave this _in-between_, and preferably go straight to the _after_. Probably no heaven for him, but fiery pits and hot pokers (or, you know, icy wastelands and snowy deserts, as he always minded the cold way more than the opposite). Still, at least then the torture would be physical and he wouldn't have the mind to _grieve_.

Alyona shook her head though, and threw a soft smile his way.

"Don't be stupid; mine and Elijah's story is finally, _finally_ over. Yours and Elena's though… it's still just somewhere in the middle of the prologue. Hasn't even really begun yet. What do you want to die for now?"

"_I'm_ stupid? The _hell_, woman… Elena is dead. You were in the same fucking _body_ as it happened! Are you delirious? Is it _possible_ to be delirious without a body?"

Damon knew he was getting a little worked up but… well. No but. He was entitled to it. Surely he was.

And still she just fucking smiled. He had no idea how a face that was the carbon copy of Elena's (or the other way round, if one wanted to be technical) could look so different to hers. But it always still worked; did with Katherine, and Alyona managed it too. Women. Weird.

"Yes… she died. While she was still a vampire, even though she shouldn't have been one. The moment she did though, the spell disintegrated. You're a vampire again, right?"

"So what. I'm undead again – big deal."

"Hm… yes. But you see… normally, yes – Elena would be dead, and for good. But… she died a vampire, and then turned human again. The weapon I used, was meant to kill an Original. The moment she died, I got ripped out of her body, and she was human again – meaning she was neither an Original nor undead. And there always has to be balance in nature… and nature won't understand why an Original vampire died, but now there are two dead souls, and only one body. And as the body is the human one…."

She left the sentence in the open, because by the way Damon's eyes widened, she could see that he understood. Then his eyes closed entirely, and he let out a deep breath.

"She… she's going to be okay? She'll live?"

That _smile_ again… but this time it didn't make him angry. He just hugged Elena closer to him and breathed her in.

"When she wakes up… will you tell her I'm sorry? I let her believe that this really would be her end… Until the last moment, I wasn't sure if she'd be alright or not so just… tell her I'm sorry, and that I thank her. She freed me – _us_. We're finally free to rest. Finally…"

With her last few words, her voice faded out, until he could barely understand her. As he opened his eyes again, he was back in the clearing. Stefan was crouching in front of him, eyes red-rimmed and not-yet-dried tear tracks on his face. Looking down, he saw the wound in Elena's chest starting to close – slowly, but it did. All would be well.

Grinning, he made sure that she was safe in his arms, and stood up off the ground, leaving the clearing and this near-tragedy behind. There was nothing left to do here – the wind had long since blown away the last remnant of Klaus and Elijah.

The others exchanged glances, probably thinking he had finally lost his mind… whatever, he would explain later. He needed to get Elena home now.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

It had taken quite some time for her to heal – the sun had come up, reached its zenith, and disappeared behind the horizon again, and still she hasn't woken up yet. But the wound was closed, her heart has resumed its steady thumping, and her lungs where drawing oxygen again. He skin had lost its pallor and for all intents and purposes, she was just sleeping now; resting.

In the very back of her mind she knew where she was – knew that Damon was right beside her, holding her, sharing her warmth, and waited for her. She knew that Klaus was gone, and that she was free to live her life in peace now (well, as much peace as there was possible with someone like Damon beside her). She knew people where waiting for her. But it still took a long while for her body to get the same message. Finally though, she was able to open her eyes. The room was lit only by a bedside lamp on the far side of the bed, and most everything was dipped into shadows. But as she craned her head a little bit, and looked straight into the blue eyes of the one person she needed right then.

She smiled, raised her hand to his cheek and caressed it, before burying her hand in his hair.

"Hi."

"Hi yourself… you took your sweet time there."

She smiled at him (and it didn't look like the all-knowing one of the other woman in the _least_. Thank _fuck_ for small wonders.) and chose to ignore his last comment.

"So… are you ready?"

She didn't ask for what – there was no need for that. Because… well, whatever he meant by that, the answer would be the same.

"With you by my side? Yes, always."

And then they kissed, and forgot that anything else existed at all.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

-The End-

Yup, you read right just now, this really is The End. No more chapters for this one. I've said (wrote) everything there was to, and now I'll try to work myself up for another multichapter (it's already planned out in my head, but I won't start posting for a while yet, because I want a few chapters written in advance!). Now, it's been a hell of a journey, and I'll ask you one last time: Please tell me what you think of this chapter; just click on the little button below and leave me a few words^^.

So long,

Zora


End file.
